House Bill 6014 would amend the Michigan Strategic Fund Act to create a new Chapter 7A establishing an Office of Small Business Growth within the Michigan Strategic Fund. The office would be led by a governor-appointed administrator confirmed by the Senate, subject to removal for cause, and restricted from active political involvement or outside work that could create conflicts of interest. The bill defines “small business” as an independently owned and operated business in Michigan with fewer than 500 full-time employees, including affiliates.
The office’s core mission would be to support small businesses and entrepreneurs by coordinating state programs, streamlining access to government requirements, and creating a one-stop website with step-by-step startup guidance, grant and loan information, and links to relevant agencies and organizations. It would also provide technical assistance, conduct outreach, help administer financing or economic development programs, and seek additional funding from federal, philanthropic, and other sources. The office could also recommend statutory or regulatory changes that would benefit small businesses.
The bill would also require the office to collect and analyze outcome data and submit an annual report to the legislature, governor, the Michigan Strategic Fund board, and fiscal agencies by April 10 each year. In practical terms, the measure adds a new state-level administrative structure focused specifically on small business support and coordination, and it authorizes the delegation of existing fund powers related to small businesses to the new office.
Because there are no committee transcripts or recorded votes provided, the overall sentiment cannot be measured from debate or roll call history. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears generally supportive of small business development, entrepreneurship, and administrative simplification, with no explicit opposition reflected in the available record.
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided materials. Potential areas that could draw scrutiny, based on the bill’s structure, include the creation of a new office within the Michigan Strategic Fund, the scope of its authority to administer programs and recommend legal changes, and the governor’s appointment and removal powers over the administrator.
The bill would amend the Michigan Strategic Fund Act by adding a new chapter that creates the Office of Small Business Growth and assigns it duties related to small business assistance, coordination, outreach, technical support, data collection, and annual reporting. It would affect the Michigan Strategic Fund and any state programs or statutory provisions tied to small business support by allowing related powers to be delegated to the new office and by centralizing small business services in one administrative unit. The bill would not directly change tax rates or licensing rules, but it could influence how businesses interact with state government and how small business programs are administered.
No committee discussion or vote history is available, so there is no recorded legislative debate to gauge support or opposition. The bill’s text reflects a pro-small-business policy approach, emphasizing entrepreneurship, job creation, streamlined government processes, and access to financing and technical assistance. On that basis, the available record suggests a generally favorable posture toward the bill, but without evidence of formal legislative sentiment from hearings or votes.
No explicit contention appears in the provided transcripts or voting record because none were supplied. If concerns were to arise, they would likely center on whether the new office duplicates existing state functions, the extent of its authority to administer grants or loans, the governor’s appointment and removal authority, and whether the reporting and coordination requirements are sufficient to justify creating a new administrative entity. Another possible point of debate is the bill’s broad definition of small business and whether the office’s responsibilities are too expansive or too limited to meaningfully improve business conditions.