Bill > SB0305

This bill creates an Air Quality Enforcement and Mitigation (AQEM) fund to more effectively address environmental pollution and its impact on disadvantaged communities. The bill establishes that civil and administrative fines related to air quality violations will be deposited into this fund, with 20% allocated to the department's air monitoring and grant administration functions, and 80% dedicated to community impact grants. These grants can be used for air pollution mitigation efforts such as installing air filtration systems, creating vegetative buffers, conducting health impact assessments, and developing educational programs in environmental justice communities—areas identified as facing disproportionate environmental burdens. The department will create a grant program and guidelines in consultation with an advisory committee that includes public health experts, environmental justice representatives, local health departments, community residents, and industry professionals. The bill requires annual public reporting on grant awards and mandates a community engagement process to identify environmental justice communities. Importantly, companies that commit to supplemental environmental projects as part of a settlement can have those project costs excluded from fine calculations, incentivizing proactive pollution reduction efforts. The law will take effect 90 days after enactment.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://legislature.mi.gov/Bills/Bill?ObjectName=2025-SB-0305