MACKINAC BRIDGE AUTHORITY - H.B. 4630 (H-1) & 4631 (H-1): FLOOR ANALYSIS

sans-serif">House Bill 4630 (Substitute H-1 as reported without amendment)

House Bill 4631 (Substitute H-1 as reported without amendment)

Sponsor: Representative Rich Brown (H.B. 4630)

              Representative Scott Shackleton (H.B. 4631)

House Committee: Transportation

Senate Committee: Transportation

CONTENT

House Bill 4630 (H-1) would amend the Mackinac Bridge Authority law to prohibit the Authority from charging tolls or charges to authorized emergency vehicles in the process of responding to an emergency, beginning October 1, 2003. The law currently requires all individuals or vehicles, except the Authority’s vehicles or personnel, to pay a toll for using the bridge.

(The bill would define “authorized emergency vehicle” as it is defined in Section 2 of the Motor Vehicle Code, i.e., vehicles of the fire department, police vehicles, ambulances, or privately owned vehicles of volunteer or paid fire-fighters if authorized by the chief of an organized fire department, or privately owned motor vehicles of volunteer or paid members of a licensed life support agency if authorized by the agency; or a vehicle owned and operated by a Federally recognized nonprofit charitable organization that is used exclusively for assistance during an emergency.)

House Bill 4631 (H-1) would amend Public Act 51 of 1951, which appropriates money in the State Trunkline Fund for specific purposes in a particular order of priority, to provide for an annual appropriation of at least $5,250,000 to the Mackinac Bridge Authority for capital improvement projects, beginning in fiscal year 2003-04.

MCL 254.322 (H.B. 4630) - Legislative Analyst: Patrick Affholter

      247.661 (H.B. 4631)

FISCAL IMPACT

House Bill 4630 (H-1) would reduce State revenue collected by the Authority by prohibiting it from charging tolls to authorized emergency vehicles. It is estimated that the revenue lost due to this prohibition would be $7,800 annually.

House Bill 4631 (H-1) would redirect State-restricted transportation revenues. Under the bill, $5,250,000 annually (beginning FY 2002-03) would be earmarked in the State Trunkline Fund (STF) for the Mackinac Bridge Authority, to be used for capital improvements. Currently, the Authority does not receive any revenue from the STF. This redirection would reduce the STF resources available to the Michigan Department of Transportation for administering its annual road and bridge program. The STF annually receives revenue from the Michigan Transportation Fund as well as various fees and taxes. In FY 2001-02, STF revenue totaled $874,445,000.

Date Completed: 7-15-03 - Fiscal Analyst: Craig ThielFloor\hb4630 - Bill Analysis @ www.senate.michigan.gov/sfa

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.