Senate Fiscal Agency - Bill Analysis

	Michigan State Senate
	Senate Fiscal Agency

Bill Analysis

The Senate Fiscal Agency (SFA) is responsible for providing the entire Michigan Senate with objective, nonpartisan analyses of legislation being considered by the Senate. The bill analysis documents include Committee Summaries of bills taken up in a Senate standing committee, as well as Floor Summaries and Detailed Analyses of bills reported from committee.

Availability of Documents: Committee summaries, floor summaries, and detailed analyses of current bills, as well as bills from the 1997-98 and subsequent sessions, are available on the Senate Fiscal Agency's internet site at http://www.senate.michigan.gov/sfa/. In addition, printed copies of analyses of current bills and of bills from previous sessions (beginning in 1980) can be obtained from the SFA's bill analysis secretary (517-373-5383 or lscott@senate.michigan.gov).

Committee Summaries are prepared for all Senate and House bills that are placed on a Senate committee's agenda. The summaries are a straightforward explanation of the changes a bill would make in current law, and include information on the bill's potential fiscal impact. Summaries may include background information, as well. They are intended to present bills in "plain language", highlighting significant points and deciphering technical terms. Committee Summaries are available at committee meetings.

Floor Summaries are one-page descriptions of the content and potential fiscal impact of bills that have been reported, or discharged, from a committee. Floor Summaries are updated if a bill is amended on the floor and remains on the Senate calendar.

Detailed Analyses: For bills reported from committee, the SFA prepares a detailed Analysis. This analysis presents an objective statement of why the bill was introduced, a detailed discussion of what the bill would do, fiscal information, arguments in support of and opposition to the bill, and, sometimes, background information on the bill or the state of the law. The analysis is designed to be a concise and balanced overview of the bill, rather than an exhaustive research paper. In the interest of objectivity, the analysis never includes an analyst's personal judgment of the merits of the bill.

Detailed analyses of Senate bills are updated to include amendments adopted on the Senate floor or to reflect a bill as enacted

(In some cases, the bill analysis staff will write a Summary, rather than a detailed analysis, of a Senate bill that has passed the Senate or been enacted. Like a Committee Summary, a Summary of a Senate-passed or enacted bill contains a description of the bill's content, fiscal impact, and, sometimes, background.)

Public Act Descriptions: For each enacted Senate bill, the bill analysis staff prepares a concise, one-paragraph description of the new law's provisions. Descriptions of enacted House bills are written by House Fiscal Agency staff, and both sets of descriptions are published together annually by the Legislative Service Bureau.

Disclaimers: All bill analysis documents produced by the Senate Fiscal Agency state the following: "This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent."

In addition, all detailed analyses contain the following statement: "The arguments contained in this analysis originate from sources outside the Senate Fiscal Agency. The Senate Fiscal Agency neither supports nor opposes legislation."

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	Phone: (517) 373-2768 - FAX: (517) 373-1986 - TDD: (517) 373-0543 - SFAWebmaster@senate.michigan.gov