Committee adopts substitute shifting oversight of program from Military and Veterans Affairs to Labor and Economic Opportunity

The House Families and Veterans Committee on an unspecified date adopted a substitute to House Bill 4279 that would transfer responsibility for creating and administering the program from the Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs to the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity.

A substitute (H-1) offered by Representative Johnson would “swap the roles of Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs and the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, making [the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity] the overseeing Department of the creation of the program and the administration of the program,” the committee record states.

The substitute was moved for adoption by Representative Pavlov. Jared Scribe of the Mackinac Center registered support on the public-comment card read into the record. The committee adopted the substitute on a recorded roll call: 11 yeas, 0 nays. The committee later voted to report House Bill 4279 with recommendation as substituted; the committee clerk recorded six yays and five pass votes and the motion prevailed.

The transcript does not record further debate on the measure, substantive amendments to program details, or the program’s funding source; the committee’s action at this meeting was procedural adoption of the substitute and reporting the bill to the next step in the legislative process.

Members who voted in favor on the substitute included Chair Schmaltz and representatives recorded as voting yes during the roll call; the clerk recorded the final tallies in the meeting minutes.

The bill text, fiscal notes, and any committee-submitted amendments will determine final program scope and funding as the measure proceeds through the legislature.