HOUSE BILL NO. 4869
June 28, 2023, Introduced by Reps. DeSana, Carra, Maddock, Smit, Prestin, DeBoyer, Cavitt,
Friske and Markkanen and referred to the Committee on Transportation, Mobility and
Infrastructure.
A bill to amend 1952 PA 214, entitled
"An act authorizing the Mackinac bridge authority to acquire a
bridge and a utility tunnel connecting the Upper and Lower
Peninsulas of Michigan, including causeways, tunnels, roads and all
useful related equipment and facilities, including park, parking,
recreation, lighting, and terminal facilities; extending the
corporate existence of the authority; authorizing the authority to
enjoy and carry out all powers incident to its corporate objects;
authorizing the appropriation and use of state funds for the
preliminary purposes of the authority; providing for the payment of
the cost of the bridge and authorizing the authority to issue
revenue bonds payable solely from the revenues of the bridge;
granting the right of condemnation to the authority; granting the
use of state land and property to the authority; making provisions
for the payment and security of bonds and granting certain rights
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and remedies to the holders of bonds; authorizing banks and trust
companies to perform certain acts in connection with the payment
and security of bonds; authorizing the imposition of tolls and
charges; authorizing the authority to secure the consent of the
United States government to the construction of the bridge and to
secure approval of plans, specifications, and location of the
bridge; authorizing employment of engineers regardless of whether
those engineers have been previously employed to make preliminary
inspections or reports with respect to the bridge; authorizing the
state transportation department to operate and maintain the bridge
or to contribute to the bridge and enter into leases and agreements
in connection with the bridge; exempting bonds and the property of
the authority from taxation; prohibiting competing traffic
facilities; authorizing the operation of ferries by the authority;
authorizing the creation of the Mackinac Straits corridor
authority; authorizing the operation of a utility tunnel by the
authority or the Mackinac Straits corridor authority; providing for
the construction and use of certain buildings; and making an
appropriation,"
by amending section 12 (MCL 254.322), as amended by 2004 PA 336.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:
1 Sec. 12. (1) Except as provided in this section, all
2 individuals or vehicles using the bridge shall pay tolls and
3 charges established by the authority. The authority shall not
4 charge tolls or charges to its own personnel or vehicles while the
5 personnel are on duty or while the vehicles are being used for
6 authority business. Beginning October 1, 2003, the
7 (2) The authority shall not charge tolls or charges to
8 authorized emergency vehicles that are in the process of responding
9 to an emergency. As used in this section, "authorized emergency
10 vehicles" means that term as defined in section 2 of the Michigan
11 vehicle code, 1949 PA 300, MCL 257.2. Beginning November 1, 2004, a
12 violation of
13 (3) Before the effective date of the amendatory act that added
14 subsection (4), an individual who violates this section by failure
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1 failing to pay a toll is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by
2 imprisonment for not more than 30 days or a fine of not more than
3 $500.00, or both.
4 (4) Beginning on the effective date of the amendatory act that
5 added this subsection, the authority shall not charge tolls or
6 charges to any individual or vehicle for using the bridge.
7 (5) As used in this section, "authorized emergency vehicle"
8 means that term as defined in section 2 of the Michigan vehicle
9 code, 1949 PA 300, MCL 257.2.
JJR Final Page 03482'23


Statutes affected:
House Introduced Bill: 254.322