Appropriations: community colleges; appropriations for fiscal year 2026-2027; provide for. Amends secs. 201 & 206 of 1979 PA 94 (MCL 388.1801 & 388.1806).
Summary
HB 5617 is a Michigan school aid appropriations bill for community colleges for fiscal year 2026-2027. It amends sections 201 and 206 of the State School Aid Act to set the total community college appropriation at $493,032,100, with the bulk of the funding coming from the state school aid fund. The bill itemizes operating appropriations for each community college and separately identifies amounts for North American Indian tuition waiver costs, retirement-related payments, and renaissance zone tax reimbursements.
The bill also updates the distribution schedule for these funds. Community college operating appropriations are to be paid in 11 monthly installments by the state treasurer, while a separate allocation for offsetting certain retirement contribution costs is to be distributed quarterly. The bill specifies how colleges must accrue certain payments to their institutional fiscal years and continues existing statutory funding structures for community college operations and retirement-related support.
Impact
HB 5617 would amend the State School Aid Act to authorize and allocate state funding for Michigan community colleges in fiscal year 2026-2027. It affects MCL 388.1801 and 388.1806 by revising appropriation amounts, updating the fiscal year references, and maintaining statutory provisions for operating aid, retirement contribution offsets, participating retirement system payments, and renaissance zone reimbursements. The bill directly impacts community colleges as recipients of state aid and the state treasurer as the distributing authority.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee testimony or votes in the provided materials, the bill appears to be a routine appropriations measure with no documented controversy in the available record. Its structure suggests a standard annual funding bill for community colleges, which typically receives support because it maintains operating aid and related payments to institutions. No opposing viewpoints or recorded dissent are included in the provided context.
Contention
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided committee transcripts or voting history. The only potentially notable policy features are the detailed line-item allocations, the continued use of state school aid fund dollars for retirement-related costs, and the inclusion of North American Indian tuition waiver reimbursements and renaissance zone tax reimbursements. However, the available materials do not show any dispute over those provisions or identify any legislators, colleges, or stakeholders raising objections.