SENATE BILL No. 1102

 

 

March 17, 2004, Introduced by Senator EMERSON and referred to the Committee on Appropriations.

 

 

        

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                 A bill to amend 1994 PA 451, entitled                                             

                                                                                

    "Natural resources and environmental protection act,"                       

                                                                                

    by amending sections 51105 and 51106 (MCL 324.51105 and                     

                                                                                

    324.51106), section 51105 as amended by 1996 PA 451 and section             

                                                                                

    51106 as added by 1995 PA 57; and to repeal acts and parts of               

                                                                                

    acts.                                                                       

                                                                                

                THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:                      

                                                                                

1       Sec. 51105.  (1) Commercial forests are not subject to the                  

                                                                                

2   ad valorem general property tax after the date the township                 

                                                                                

3   supervisor is notified by the department that the land is a                 

                                                                                

4   commercial forest, except taxes as previously levied.  Except as            

                                                                                

5   provided in subsection (5), commercial forests are subject to an            

                                                                                

6   annual specific tax as follows:                                             

                                                                                

7       (a) Through October 1, 1981, 15 cents per acre.                             

                                                                                

8       (b) After October 1, 1981 and through December 31, 1989, 30                 

                                                                                


                                                                                

1   cents per acre.                                                             

                                                                                

2       (c) After December 31, 1989 and through December 31, 1993, 38               

                                                                                

3   cents per acre.                                                             

                                                                                

4       (d) Beginning January 1, 1994, $1.10 per acre.  as adjusted                 

                                                                                

5   pursuant to section 51107.                                                  

                                                                                

6       (2) The supervisor of the township shall remove from the list               

                                                                                

7   of land descriptions assessed and taxed under the ad valorem                

                                                                                

8   general property tax the land descriptions certified to him or              

                                                                                

9   her by the department as being commercial forests and shall enter           

                                                                                

10  those land descriptions on a roll separate from lands assessed              

                                                                                

11  and taxed by the ad valorem general property tax and shall spread           

                                                                                

12  against these commercial forests the specific tax provided by               

                                                                                

13  this section.                                                               

                                                                                

14      (3) The township treasurer shall collect the specific tax at                

                                                                                

15  the same time and in the same manner as ad valorem general                  

                                                                                

16  property taxes are collected and this tax is subject to the same            

                                                                                

17  collection charges levied for the collection of ad valorem                  

                                                                                

18  property taxes.  Commercial forests are subject to return and               

                                                                                

19  sale for nonpayment of taxes in the same manner, at the same                

                                                                                

20  time, and under the same penalties as lands returned and sold for           

                                                                                

21  nonpayment of taxes levied under the ad valorem general property            

                                                                                

22  tax laws.  A valuation shall not be determined for descriptions             

                                                                                

23  listed as commercial forests and these lands shall not be                   

                                                                                

24  considered by the county board of commissioners or by the state             

                                                                                

25  board of equalization in connection with county or state                    

                                                                                

26  equalization for ad valorem property taxation purposes.                     

                                                                                

27      (4) Except as provided in section 51109(2), all sums                        


                                                                                

1   collected pursuant to this section shall be distributed by the              

                                                                                

2   township treasurer in the same proportions to the various funds             

                                                                                

3   as the ad valorem general property tax is allocated in the                  

                                                                                

4   township.                                                                   

                                                                                

5       (5) Commercial forestland located in a renaissance zone under               

                                                                                

6   the Michigan renaissance zone act,  Act No. 376 of the Public               

                                                                                

7   Acts of 1996, being sections 125.2681 to 125.2696 of the Michigan           

                                                                                

8   Compiled Laws  1996 PA 376, MCL 125.2681 to 125.2696, is exempt             

                                                                                

9   from the annual specific tax levied under this section to the               

                                                                                

10  extent and for the duration provided pursuant to  Act No. 376 of            

                                                                                

11  the Public Acts of 1996  the Michigan renaissance zone act, 1996            

                                                                                

12  PA 376, MCL 125.2681 to 125.2696.                                           

                                                                                

13      Sec. 51106.  On December 1 of each year, the department                     

                                                                                

14  shall certify to the state treasurer the number of acres that are           

                                                                                

15  commercial forestlands in each county and the state treasurer               

                                                                                

16  shall transmit to the treasurer of each county in which these               

                                                                                

17  commercial forests are located a warrant on the state treasurer             

                                                                                

18  for an amount equal to $1.20 per acre  , as adjusted by section             

                                                                                

19  51107,  upon each acre of commercial forest in the county.  The             

                                                                                

20  county treasurer of each county shall distribute an amount equal            

                                                                                

21  to 25 cents per acre for each acre of commercial forest in the              

                                                                                

22  county in the same proportions between the various funds as the             

                                                                                

23  ad valorem general property tax is distributed by the township              

                                                                                

24  treasurers in each township.  Except as provided by section                 

                                                                                

25  51109(2), the county treasurer of each county shall distribute              

                                                                                

26  the remainder of the funds transmitted pursuant to this section             

                                                                                

27  pursuant to the manner in which ad valorem property taxes are               


                                                                                

1   distributed.                                                                

                                                                                

2       Enacting section 1.  Section 51107 of the natural resources                 

                                                                                

3   and environmental protection act, 1994 PA 451, MCL 324.51107, is            

                                                                                

4   repealed.