SENATE BILL No. 480

 

 

May 14, 2003, Introduced by Senator BRATER and referred to the Committee on Appropriations.

 

 

        

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                 A bill to amend 1931 PA 189, entitled                                             

                                                                                

    "The insect pest and plant disease act,"                                    

                                                                                

    by amending section 9 (MCL 286.209), as amended by 1982 PA 157.             

                                                                                

                THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:                      

                                                                                

1       Sec. 9.  (1) A person, firm, partnership, association, or                   

                                                                                

2   corporation growing or desiring to sell nursery stock in this               

                                                                                

3   state shall, on or before October 31, 1982 and October 31 of each           

                                                                                

4   year,  thereafter,  apply to the director for a license.  The               

                                                                                

5   annual nursery license fee shall be  $50.00  $100.00.  The annual           

                                                                                

6   license fee for plant growers or plant dealers shall be  $20.00             

                                                                                

7   $100.00.  The annual license fee for nursery dealers shall be               

                                                                                

8   $50.00  $100.00For persons growing less than 1/4 acre of                

                                                                                

9   nursery stock or utilizing less than 200 square feet of                     

                                                                                

10  greenhouse space, the fee for a license is $40.00. License fees             

                                                                                

11  provided for in this act shall become due and payable at the                

                                                                                


                                                                                

1   office of the director on or before October 31 of each year.                

                                                                                

2   Fees                                                                       

                                                                                

3       (2) Except as otherwise provided in this section, fees                      

                                                                                

4   collected under this act shall be paid into the general fund of             

                                                                                

5   the state and shall be used in enforcement of this act.                     

                                                                                

6       (3) The horticulture fund is created within the state                       

                                                                                

7   treasury.  The state treasurer may receive money or other assets            

                                                                                

8   from any source for deposit into the fund.  Up to $70,000.00 of             

                                                                                

9   the funds generated through licensing shall be deposited into the           

                                                                                

10  horticulture fund each year.  The state treasurer shall direct              

                                                                                

11  the investments of the horticulture fund.  The state treasurer              

                                                                                

12  shall credit interest and earnings from fund investments to the             

                                                                                

13  fund.  Assets in the fund at the close of the fiscal year shall             

                                                                                

14  remain in the fund and shall not lapse to the general fund.  The            

                                                                                

15  director shall administer the fund and shall expend money from              

                                                                                

16  the fund, upon appropriation, to provide for research projects,             

                                                                                

17  to develop and improve training programs, and to develop outreach           

                                                                                

18  materials for the purposes of safeguarding plants and plant                 

                                                                                

19  products from unwanted plant pests.  The director shall                     

                                                                                

20  administer the fund with advice and consultation from a                     

                                                                                

21  horticultural advisory committee.                                           

                                                                                

22      (4) There is created a horticulture advisory committee.                     

                                                                                

23  Members of this committee, to be named by the director, shall               

                                                                                

24  include representatives from the horticulture industry.                     

                                                                                

25      (5) This section  shall  does not apply to persons engaged                  

                                                                                

26  in fruit growing who are not nurserymen but desire to sell or               

                                                                                

27  exchange surplus small fruit plants of their own growing, or to             


                                                                                

1   farmers or other persons who may sell or give away native shade             

                                                                                

2   trees, native shrubs, native vines, native hardy perennials, or             

                                                                                

3   native evergreens from their own premises.