Michigan Senate Bill SB0471

Michigan 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 6/26/25
• Refer: 6/26/25

Caption

Education: safety; behavioral threat assessment and management program fund; create. Amends 2018 PA 548 (MCL 28.801 - 28.809) by adding sec. 4a.

Summary

Senate Bill 471 would amend Michigan’s Comprehensive School Safety Plan Act to create a new Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management Program Fund in the Department of Treasury and appropriate $13 million from the general fund for fiscal year 2025. The money would be dedicated solely to developing, implementing, managing, and maintaining the behavioral threat assessment and management program referenced in section 4 of the act. The bill also allows the fund to receive gifts, grants, and other deposits, and it directs that interest and earnings remain in the fund for program use. The appropriation is structured as a work project, meaning any unspent or unallotted money can carry forward into the next fiscal year rather than lapse back to the general fund. The bill sets an estimated completion cost of $13 million and an estimated completion date of September 30, 2026. It also specifies that the Department of Treasury administers the fund for auditing purposes, while the relevant department must ensure expenditures comply with section 4 and state law. In practical terms, the bill would add a dedicated funding mechanism to support Michigan’s school safety threat assessment infrastructure. It does not itself create the underlying behavioral threat assessment program, but it finances the program’s implementation and ongoing administration under the existing school safety law. Because the funding is earmarked and nonlapsing, it would give the program a more stable, multi-year financial base. The available context shows no recorded committee transcript, vote tally, or formal opposition in the materials provided, so the overall sentiment cannot be measured from debate or roll call history. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears administrative and supportive of school safety efforts, with the main policy emphasis on funding and program continuity rather than substantive changes to school discipline or threat response standards. The most likely point of contention, if any, would be the size and source of the appropriation: $13 million from the general fund. Other possible concerns could include whether the program is sufficiently defined in the underlying law, how funds will be overseen, and whether the work project structure appropriately balances flexibility with accountability.

Impact

SB 471 would amend 2018 PA 548, the Comprehensive School Safety Plan Act, by adding a new section 4a that creates a dedicated Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management Program Fund in the Department of Treasury and appropriates $13 million from the general fund for FY 2025. It would authorize the fund to receive additional deposits, require interest and earnings to stay in the fund, and prevent unspent money from lapsing at year-end. The bill would also establish the appropriation as a work project under the Management and Budget Act, allowing carryforward of unencumbered funds through FY 2026 for program development and maintenance.

Sentiment

The bill appears generally supportive and safety-oriented in nature, with no recorded votes or committee testimony in the provided materials to indicate organized opposition or support. Its structure suggests a consensus-style funding measure aimed at strengthening school safety infrastructure through a dedicated, nonlapsing fund. Because the context includes no debate transcript, the public or legislative sentiment can only be inferred from the bill’s purpose: it is framed as a practical implementation and financing measure rather than a controversial policy change.

Contention

The main likely point of contention is fiscal: the bill commits $13 million in general fund dollars to a new dedicated fund, which may draw scrutiny over budget priorities and the size of the appropriation. A secondary issue is governance and accountability, since the bill relies on a work project structure and directs the Department of Treasury to administer the fund for auditing purposes while another department controls spending for program purposes. If there were objections, they would most likely focus on whether the underlying behavioral threat assessment program is sufficiently defined, how effectively the funds will be used, and whether the carryforward/nonlapsing structure limits legislative control over future spending.