AN ACT RELATING TO BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONS -- NURSES

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Jennifer Boylan and 9 co-sponsors

Eliminates the opt-out option for large counties within SMART-area transit authorities; once current millage expires, opt-out jurisdictions join the county and pay the millage.

06/13/2025 Referred to Senate Health and Human Services

Summary — HB 6088 (Enacted as Public Act 236 of 2024)

Status and timing
- Introduced: November 13, 2024 (Rep. Alabas Farhat).
- Enacted: Approved by Governor January 17, 2025; filed with Secretary of State January 17, 2025.
- Effective date: April 2, 2025.
- Statutory changes: amends sections 8, 18, and 29 of the Public Transportation Authority Act (1986 PA 196; MCL 124.458, 124.468, 124.479).

Purpose and intent
- End the ability of municipal political subdivisions in large counties to opt out of their county public transportation authority and to change the rules governing how long public‑transit millages may be levied.

Key provisions
1. Eliminate opt‑out for political subdivisions in large counties
- The act prevents political subdivisions (counties, cities, villages, townships, or portions thereof) within a county meeting the population threshold from withdrawing from that county’s public transportation authority under the Public Transportation Authority Act.
- The prohibition becomes effective after the county’s current public‑transit millage expires; at that time each political subdivision within the county becomes a member of the county transit authority and becomes subject to any authority millage then in effect.
- Practical effect: communities that previously had “opted out” of a county transit millage would no longer be able to withdraw and would be required to pay the county transit millage once the current authorizing ballot period ends.

Remove the five‑year millage duration limit

The statute’s general five‑year cap on the duration of a millage levied by a public transportation authority is removed. After enactment, the authority may set the period for which a tax may be levied (i.e., no statutory five‑year limit).
The prior 25‑year exception for federally funded fixed‑guideway projects (CIG projects) is also removed as unnecessary.

Other technical changes

Conforming amendments to procedures for withdrawal, petitions, elections, and documentation (sections amended: 8, 18, 29).

Who is affected
- Primary effect in practice: suburban jurisdictions served by the Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART). The bill targets counties that meet the population threshold (per fiscal analyses, only Wayne County and Oakland County meet the cited thresholds using 2020 Census data), so municipal opt‑out in those counties is ended.
- Municipalities that previously chose to opt out of a county transit millage will be required to join the county authority and pay the millage once the current millage expires.
- No direct fiscal impact on state government; fiscal analysts note no fiscal impact outside affected counties. Opt‑out communities in affected counties may see increased property tax expense; specific cost estimates are not provided.

Background context
- Under prior law a public transportation authority, with voter approval, could levy up to 5 mills for public transportation purposes generally for up to five years (with a longer term (25 years) allowed for certain fixed‑guideway projects). Political subdivisions could withdraw from an authority under specified resolution or voter procedures. HB 6088 removes the opt‑out option for political subdivisions in qualifying large counties and removes the five‑year millage cap.