HB 6500 Summary

• Appropriates $65,925,000 for fiscal year 2023, consisting of $47,925,000 in federal American Rescue Plan Act funding and $18,000,000 in state general fund dollars to the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy.

• Authorizes bedrock drilling studies in 25 specified Michigan counties to collect data on water availability, aggregate location, and PFAS contamination, with $32,500,000 allocated for this purpose.

• Funds geological data collection and mapping ($5,000,000 ARP; $12,000,000 general fund) to create standardized groundwater databases accessible to the public.

• Establishes a technical review committee including state geologists, USGS representatives, university officials, and industry experts to oversee drilling protocols and ensure compliance with federal standards.

• Requires an independent integrity oversight monitor contracted at $3,300,000 to ensure legal compliance and detect misconduct in fund expenditure; monitor must provide annual reports to legislative appropriations committees.

• Allocates $4,000,000 for monitoring well installation across eight southwest Michigan counties and $3,125,000 for geophysical studies to enhance subsurface profiles.

• Appropriates $6,000,000 to expand the Michigan Geological Survey repository facility in Kalamazoo for storing core samples.