Detroit City Wire

The Legislative Service Bureau recently released a report stating that the average cost of passing a law in Michigan costs an average of $272,500. However, the Bureau believes that the number cannot be fully quantified because of the different variables when it comes to lawmaking.

The report was requested by Rep. Matt Maddock (R-Milford). The public isn’t too privy on the cost it takes to pass legislation, so he thought it was important to document. 

“Michigan is one of four states that has a full-time legislature and it’s no accident that the four states with the full-time legislatures passed the most laws,” Rep. Maddock told Detroit City Wire. “And there is a cost to doing that.”

Rep. Matt Maddock (R-Milford) | Michigan House Republicans

According to Michigan Capitol Confidential, the Bureau made its estimation based on $352.1 million that was allocated to the legislative branch for the 2017-2018 session. About $73 million of that was for costs unrelated to enacting new laws. The remaining $278.2 million was divided by the 1,021 pieces of legislation passed in the two-year period. When averaged out, that equal $272,500 spent for every bill that becomes law, according to the Legislative Service Bureau.

Research analyst Neil Weinberg said it is hard to estimate the average cost for passing a piece of legislation, Michigan Capitol Confidential reported. It would require the analyst to make his or her own assumptions about the data necessary to do so. Maddock agreed. 

“Unfortunately, using that method, that empirical data, you would have a lower cost if you pass more bills,” Maddock said. “So that’s not entirely accurate.”

The cost of passing a road-naming bill versus the cost of changing the date for deer-hunting season can vary in expense. 

“It’s important to remind legislators, not just in Michigan but around the nation, that there is a cost to create a piece of legislation,” Maddock said.

Maddock hopes that the report will get the public and legislators alike to talk about bill expenses and how costs can be more accurately determined. He finds it necessary to make laws more digestible for the average citizen. 

“You’ve heard the term ‘Oh, you got to be an attorney to understand this…’ that’s what a lot of our laws, our rules, are written as,” he said. “They are so complex.”