HB-4630, As Passed Senate, July 16, 2003                                    

SUBSTITUTE FOR

HOUSE BILL NO. 4630

                                                                             A bill to amend 1952 PA 214, entitled                                             

"An act authorizing the Mackinac bridge authority to acquire a              

bridge 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 such 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 such bridge and in that connection 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 such           

bonds and granting certain rights and remedies to the holders               

thereof; authorizing banks and trust companies to perform certain           

acts in connection therewith; 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             

same; authorizing employment of engineers irrespective of whether           

such engineers have been previously employed to make preliminary            

inspections or reports with respect to the bridge; authorizing              

the state highway department to operate and maintain such bridge            

or to contribute thereto and enter into leases and agreements in            

connection therewith; exempting such bonds and the property of              

the authority from taxation; prohibiting competing traffic                  

facilities; authorizing the operation of ferries by the                     

authority; providing for the construction and use of certain                

buildings; and making an appropriation,"                                    

by amending section 12 (MCL 254.322).                                       

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

1       Sec. 12.   No free use of such bridge shall be permitted,                   

2   but Except as provided in this section, all individuals or                 

3   vehicles using  such the bridge shall pay  the  tolls and                  

4   charges established  for such use  by the authority.   This                 

5   provision, however, shall not apply to the operating personnel or           

6   vehicles of the authority. The authority shall not charge tolls            

7   or charges to its own personnel or vehicles while the personnel             

8   are on duty or while the vehicles are being used for authority              

9   business.  Beginning October 1, 2003, the authority shall not               

10  charge tolls or charges to authorized emergency vehicles that are           

11  in the process of responding to an emergency.  As used in this              

12  section, "authorized emergency vehicles" means that term as                 

13  defined in section 2 of the Michigan vehicle code, 1949 PA 300,             

14  MCL 257.2.