Act No. 174

Public Acts of 2007

Approved by the Governor

December 20, 2007

Filed with the Secretary of State

December 21, 2007

EFFECTIVE DATE: December 21, 2007

STATE OF MICHIGAN

94TH LEGISLATURE

REGULAR SESSION OF 2007

Introduced by Senator Birkholz

ENROLLED SENATE BILL No. 932

AN ACT to amend 1994 PA 451, entitled "An act to protect the environment and natural resources of the state; to codify, revise, consolidate, and classify laws relating to the environment and natural resources of the state; to regulate the discharge of certain substances into the environment; to regulate the use of certain lands, waters, and other natural resources of the state; to prescribe the powers and duties of certain state and local agencies and officials; to provide for certain charges, fees, assessments, and donations; to provide certain appropriations; to prescribe penalties and provide remedies; and to repeal acts and parts of acts," by amending sections 8716, 14501, 36109, and 73301 (MCL 324.8716, 324.14501, 324.36109, and 324.73301), section 8716 as amended by 2003 PA 163, section 14501 as amended by 2006 PA254, section 36109 as amended by 2002 PA 75, and section 73301 as added by 1995 PA 58.

The People of the State of Michigan enact:

Sec. 8716. (1) The freshwater protection fund is created within the state treasury.

(2) The state treasurer may receive money or other assets from any source for deposit into the fund, including general fund general purpose appropriations, gifts, grants, and bequests. The director shall annually seek matching general fund general purpose appropriations in amounts equal to the groundwater protection fees collected under section 8715 that are deposited into the fund pursuant to this part. The state treasurer shall direct the investment of the fund. The state treasurer shall credit to the fund interest and earnings from fund investments.

(3) Money in the fund at the close of the fiscal year shall remain in the fund and shall not lapse to the general fund.

(4) The department shall be the administrator of the fund for auditing purposes.

(5) The department shall expend money from the fund, upon appropriation, only for 1 or more of the following purposes:

(a) Direct assistance.

(b) Indirect assistance.

(c) Emergency response and removal of potential sources of groundwater contamination. Expenditures pursuant to this subdivision shall not exceed $15,000.00 per location.

(d) Groundwater protection and groundwater regulatory program.

(e) Administrative costs. Expenditures pursuant to this subdivision shall not exceed 20% of the annual appropriations from the fund.

(6) The department shall establish criteria and procedures for approving proposed expenditures from the fund.

(7) Notwithstanding section 8715, if at the close of any fiscal year the amount of money in the fund exceeds $3,500,000.00, the department shall not collect a groundwater protection fee for the following year. After the groundwater protection fees have been suspended under this subsection, the fees shall only be reinstated if, at the close of any succeeding fiscal year, the amount of money in the fund is less than $1,000,000.00.

(8) The department of treasury shall, before November 1 of each year, notify the department of the balance in the fund at the close of the preceding fiscal year.

(9) As used in this section:

(a) "Administrative costs" includes, but is not limited to, costs incurred during any of the following:

(i) Groundwater monitoring for pesticides and fertilizers.

(ii) Development and enforcement of groundwater protection rules.

(iii) Coordination of programs under this part with the United States environmental protection agency and other state programs with groundwater and pesticide management responsibilities.

(iv) Management of pesticide sales information.

(b) "Direct assistance" includes, but is not limited to, programs that will provide for any of the following:

(i) Provision of alternate noncommunity water supplies.

(ii) Closure of wells that may impact groundwater, such as abandoned, improperly constructed, or drainage wells.

(iii) The environmentally sound disposal or recycling of specialty pesticide containers.

(iv) The environmentally sound disposal or recycling of nonspecialty pesticide containers.

(v) Specialty and nonspecialty pesticide pickup programs for pesticides not currently registered for use.

(vi) Programs devoted to integrated pest and crop management that strive to encourage the judicious use of pesticides and fertilizers through targeted applications as part of a systems approach to pest control and related crop management decisions.

(vii) Incentive and cost share programs for persons in the groundwater stewardship program for implementation of groundwater stewardship practices or groundwater protection rules.

(viii) Incentive and cost share programs for persons who notify the director of potential sources of groundwater contamination on their property.

(ix) Monitoring of private well water for pesticides and fertilizers.

(x) Removal of soils and waters contaminated by pesticides and fertilizers and the land application of those materials at agronomic rates.

(xi) Groundwater stewardship program grants pursuant to section 8710.

(xii) Other programs established pursuant to this part.

(c) "Indirect assistance" includes, but is not limited to, programs that will provide for any of the following:

(i) Public education and demonstration programs on specialty pesticide container recycling and environmentally sound disposal methods.

(ii) Educational programs for pesticide and fertilizer end users.

(iii) Technical assistance programs for pesticide and fertilizer end users.

(iv) The promotion and implementation of on-site evaluation systems and groundwater stewardship practices.

(v) Research programs for determination of the impacts of alternate pesticide and fertilizer management practices.

(vi) Research program for determination of aquifer sensitivity and vulnerability to contamination by pesticides and fertilizers.

Sec. 14501. As used in this part:

(a) "Agricultural biomass" means residue and waste generated on a farm or by farm co-operative members from the production and processing of agricultural products, animal wastes, food processing wastes, or other materials as approved by the director.

(b) "Department" means the department of environmental quality.

(c) "Director" means the director of the department of environmental quality.

(d) "Eligible farmer or agricultural processor" means a person who processes agricultural products or a person who is engaged as an owner-operator of a farm in the production of agricultural goods as defined by section 35(1)(h) of the former single business tax act, 1975 PA 228, or by section 207(1)(d) of the Michigan business tax act, 2007 PA 36, MCL208.1207.

(e) "Environmental wastes" means all environmental pollutants, wastes, discharges, and emissions, regardless of how they are regulated and regardless of whether they are released to the general environment or the workplace environment.

(f) "Pollution prevention" means all of the following:

(i) "Source reduction" as defined in 42 USC 13102.

(ii) "Pollution prevention" as described in the United States environmental protection agency's pollution prevention statement dated June 15, 1993.

(iii) Environmentally sound on-site or off-site reuse or recycling including, but not limited to, the use of agricultural biomass by qualified agricultural energy production systems.

(g) "Qualified agricultural energy production system" means the structures, equipment, and apparatus to be used to produce a gaseous fuel from the noncombustive decomposition of agricultural biomass and the apparatus and equipment used to generate electricity or heat from the gaseous fuel or store the gaseous fuel for future generation of electricity or heat. Qualified agricultural energy production system may include, but is not limited to, a methane digester, biomass gasification technology, or thermal depolymerization technology.

(h) "RETAP" means the retired engineers technical assistance program created in section 14511.

(i) "Retap fund" means the retired engineers technical assistance program fund created in section 14512.

(j) "Small business" means a business that is not dominant in its field as described in 13 CFR part 121 and meets both of the following requirements:

(i) Is independently owned or operated, by a person that employs 500 or fewer individuals.

(ii) Is a small business concern as defined in 15 USC 632.

Sec. 36109. (1) An owner of farmland and related buildings subject to 1 or more development rights agreements under section 36104 or agricultural conservation easements or purchases of development rights under section 36111b or 36206 who is required or eligible to file a return as an individual or a claimant under the state income tax act may claim a credit against the state income tax liability for the amount by which the property taxes on the land and structures used in the farming operation, including the homestead, restricted by the development rights agreements, agricultural conservation easements, or purchases of development rights exceed 3.5% of the household income as defined in section 508 of the income tax act of 1967, 1967 PA 281, MCL 206.508, excluding a deduction if taken under section 613 of the internal revenue code of 1986, 26 USC 613. For the purposes of this section, all of the following apply:

(a) A partner in a partnership is considered an owner of farmland and related buildings owned by the partnership and covered by a development rights agreement, agricultural conservation easement, or purchase of development rights. A partner is considered to pay a proportion of the property taxes on that property equal to the partner's share of ownership of capital or distributive share of ordinary income as reported by the partnership to the internal revenue service or, if the partnership is not required to report that information to the internal revenue service, as provided in the partnership agreement or, if there is no written partnership agreement, a statement signed by all the partners. A partner claiming a credit under this section based upon the partnership agreement or a statement shall file a copy of the agreement or statement with his or her income tax return. If the agreement or statement is not filed, the department of treasury shall deny the credit. All partners in a partnership claiming the credit allowed under this section shall compute the credit using the same basis for the apportionment of the property taxes.

(b) A shareholder of a corporation that has filed a proper election under subchapter S of chapter 1 of subtitle A of the internal revenue code of 1986, 26 USC 1361 to 1379, is considered an owner of farmland and related buildings covered by a development rights agreement that are owned by the corporation. A shareholder is considered to pay a proportion of the property taxes on that property equal to the shareholder's percentage of stock ownership for the tax year as reported by the corporation to the internal revenue service. Except as provided in subsection (8), this subdivision applies to tax years beginning after 1987.

(c) Except as otherwise provided in this subdivision, an individual in possession of property for life under a life estate with remainder to another person or holding property under a life lease is considered the owner of that property if it is farmland and related buildings covered by a development rights agreement. Beginning January 1, 1986, if an individual in possession of property for life under a life estate with remainder to another person or holding property under a life lease enters into a written agreement with the person holding the remainder interest in that land and the written agreement apportions the property taxes in the same manner as revenue and expenses, the life lease or life estate holder and the person holding the remainder interest may claim the credit under this act as it is apportioned to them under the written agreement upon filing a copy of the written agreement with the return.

(d) If a trust holds farmland and related buildings covered by a development rights agreement and an individual is treated under subpart E of subchapter J of subchapter A of chapter 1 of the internal revenue code of 1986, 26 USC 671 to 679, as the owner of that portion of the trust that includes the farmland and related buildings, that individual is considered the owner of that property.

(e) An individual who is the sole beneficiary of a trust that is the result of the death of that individual's spouse is considered the owner of farmland and related buildings covered by a development rights agreement and held by the trust if the trust conforms to all of the following:

(i) One hundred percent of the trust income is distributed to the beneficiary in the tax year in which the trust receives the income.

(ii) The trust terms do not provide that any portion of the trust is to be paid, set aside, or otherwise used in a manner that would qualify for the deduction allowed by section 642(c) of the internal revenue code of 1986, 26 USC 642.

(f) A member in a limited liability company is considered an owner of farmland and related buildings covered by a development rights agreement that are owned by the limited liability company. A member is considered to pay a proportion of the property taxes on that property equal to the member's share of ownership or distributive share of ordinary income as reported by the limited liability company to the internal revenue service.

(2) An owner of farmland and related buildings subject to 1 or more development rights agreements under section36104 or agricultural conservation easements or purchases of development rights under section 36111b or 36206 to whom subsection (1) does not apply may claim a credit under the former single business tax act, 1975 PA 228, or the Michigan business tax act, 2007 PA 36, MCL 208.1101 to 208.1601, for the amount by which the property taxes on the land and structures used in farming operations restricted by the development rights agreements, agricultural conservation easements, or purchases of development rights exceed 3.5% of the adjusted business income of the owner as defined in section 36 of the former single business tax act, 1975 PA 228, or the business income tax base of the owner as defined in section 201 of the Michigan business tax act, 2007 PA 36, MCL 208.1201, plus compensation to shareholders not included in adjusted business income or the business income tax base, excluding any deductions if taken under section 613 of the internal revenue code of 1986, 26 USC 613. When calculating adjusted business income for tax years beginning before 1987, federal taxable income shall not be less than zero for the purposes of this subsection only. A participant is not eligible to claim a credit and refund against the former single business tax act, 1975 PA 228, or the Michigan business tax act, 2007 PA 36, MCL 208.1101 to 208.1601, unless the participant demonstrates that the participant's agricultural gross receipts of the farming operation exceed 5 times the property taxes on the land for each of 3 out of the 5 tax years immediately preceding the year in which the credit is claimed. This eligibility requirement does not apply to those participants who executed farmland development rights agreements under this part before January 1, 1978. A participant may compare, during the contract period, the average of the most recent 3 years of agricultural gross receipts to property taxes in the first year that the participant entered the program under the present contract in calculating the gross receipts qualification. Once an election is made by the participant to compute the benefit in this manner, all future calculations shall be made in the same manner.

(3) If the farmland and related buildings covered by a development rights agreement under section 36104 or an agricultural conservation easement or purchase of development rights under section 36111b or 36206 are owned by more than 1 owner, each owner is allowed to claim a credit under this section based upon that owner's share of the property tax payable on the farmland and related buildings. The department of treasury shall consider the property tax equally apportioned among the owners unless a written agreement signed by all the owners is filed with the return, which agreement apportions the property taxes in the same manner as all other items of revenue and expense. If the property taxes are considered equally apportioned, a husband and wife shall be considered 1 owner, and a person with respect to whom a deduction under section 151 of the internal revenue code of 1986, 26 USC 151, is allowable to another owner of the property shall not be considered an owner.

(4) A beneficiary of an estate or trust to which subsection (1) does not apply is entitled to the same percentage of the credit provided in this section as that person's percentage of all other distributions by the estate or trust.

(5) If the allowable amount of the credit claimed exceeds the state income tax or the state business tax otherwise due for the tax year or if there is no state income tax or the state business tax due for the tax year, the amount of the claim not used as an offset against the state income tax or the state business tax, after examination and review, shall be approved for payment to the claimant pursuant to 1941 PA 122, MCL 205.1 to 205.31. The total credit allowable under this part and chapter 9 of the income tax act of 1967, 1967 PA 281, MCL 206.501 to 206.532, or the former single business tax act, 1975 PA 228, or the Michigan business tax act, 2007 PA 36, MCL 208.1101 to 208.1601, shall not exceed the total property tax due and payable by the claimant in that year. The amount the credit exceeds the property tax due and payable shall be deducted from the credit claimed under this part.

(6) For purposes of audit, review, determination, appeals, hearings, notices, assessments, and administration relating to the credit program provided by this section, the state income tax act, 1967 PA 281, MCL 206.1 to 206.36, the former single business tax act, 1975 PA 228, or the Michigan business tax act, 2007 PA 36, MCL 208.1101 to 208.1601, applies according to which tax the credit is claimed against. If an individual is allowed to claim a credit under subsection (1) based upon property owned or held by a partnership, S corporation, or trust, the department of treasury may require that the individual furnish to the department a copy of a tax return, or portion of a tax return, and supporting schedules that the partnership, S corporation, or trust files under the internal revenue code.

(7) The department of treasury shall account separately for payments under this part and not combine them with other credit programs. A payment made to a claimant for a credit claimed under this part shall be issued by 1 or more warrants made out to the county treasurer in each county in which the claimant's property is located and the claimant, unless the claimant specifies on the return that a copy of the receipt showing payment of the property taxes that became a lien in the year for which the credit is claimed, or that became a lien in the year before the year for which the credit is claimed, is attached to the income tax or business tax return filed by the claimant. If the claimant specifies that a copy of the receipt is attached to the return, the payment shall be made directly to the claimant. A warrant made out to a claimant and a county treasurer shall be used first to pay delinquent property taxes, interest, penalties, and fees on property restricted by the development rights agreement. If the warrant exceeds the amount of delinquent taxes, interest, penalties, and fees, the county treasurer shall remit the excess to the claimant. If a claimant falsely specifies that the receipt showing payment of the property taxes is attached to the return and if the property taxes on the land subject to that development rights agreement were not paid before the return was filed, all future payments to that claimant of credits claimed under this act attributable to that development rights agreement may be made payable to the county treasurer of the county in which the property subject to the development rights agreement is located and to that claimant.

(8) For property taxes levied after 1987, a person that was an S corporation and had entered into a development rights agreement before January 1, 1989, and paid property taxes on that property, may claim the credit allowed by this section as an owner eligible under subsection (2). A subchapter S corporation claiming a credit as permitted by this subsection for taxes levied in 1988 through 1990 shall claim the credit by filing an amended return under the single business tax act, 1975 PA 228, MCL 208.1 to 208.145. If a subchapter S corporation files an amended return as permitted by this subsection and if a shareholder of the subchapter S corporation claimed a credit under subsection (1)(b) for the same property taxes, the shareholder shall file an amended return under the state income tax act. A subchapter S corporation is not entitled to a credit under this subsection until all of its shareholders file the amended returns required by this subsection. The department of treasury shall first apply a credit due to a subchapter S corporation under this subsection to repay credits claimed under this section by the subchapter S corporation's shareholders for property taxes levied in 1988 through 1990 and shall refund any remaining credit to the S corporation. Interest or penalty is not due or payable on an income tax liability resulting from an amended return required by this subsection. A subchapter S corporation electing to claim a credit as an owner eligible under subsection (2) shall not claim a credit under subsection(1) for property taxes levied after 1987.

Sec. 73301. (1) Except as otherwise provided in this section, a cause of action shall not arise for injuries to a person who is on the land of another without paying to the owner, tenant, or lessee of the land a valuable consideration for the purpose of fishing, hunting, trapping, camping, hiking, sightseeing, motorcycling, snowmobiling, or any other outdoor recreational use or trail use, with or without permission, against the owner, tenant, or lessee of the land unless the injuries were caused by the gross negligence or willful and wanton misconduct of the owner, tenant, or lessee.

(2) A cause of action shall not arise for injuries to a person who is on the land of another without paying to the owner, tenant, or lessee of the land a valuable consideration for the purpose of entering or exiting from or using a Michigan trailway as designated under part 721 or other public trail, with or without permission, against the owner, tenant, or lessee of the land unless the injuries were caused by the gross negligence or willful and wanton misconduct of the owner, tenant, or lessee. For purposes of this subsection, a Michigan trailway or public trail may be located on land of any size including, but not limited to, urban, suburban, subdivided, and rural land.

(3) A cause of action shall not arise against the owner, tenant, or lessee of land or premises for injuries to a person who is on that land or premises for the purpose of gleaning agricultural or farm products, unless that person's injuries were caused by the gross negligence or willful and wanton misconduct of the owner, tenant, or lessee.

(4) A cause of action shall not arise against the owner, tenant, or lessee of a farm used in the production of agricultural goods as defined by section 35(1)(h) of the former single business tax act, 1975 PA 228, or by section207(1)(d) of the Michigan business tax act, 2007 PA 36, MCL 208.1207, for injuries to a person who is on that farm and has paid the owner, tenant, or lessee valuable consideration for the purpose of fishing or hunting, unless that person's injuries were caused by a condition which involved an unreasonable risk of harm and all of the following apply:

(a) The owner, tenant, or lessee knew or had reason to know of the condition or risk.

(b) The owner, tenant, or lessee failed to exercise reasonable care to make the condition safe, or to warn the person of the condition or risk.

(c) The person injured did not know or did not have reason to know of the condition or risk.

(5) A cause of action shall not arise against the owner, tenant, or lessee of land or premises for injuries to a person, other than an employee or contractor of the owner, tenant, or lessee, who is on the land or premises for the purpose of picking and purchasing agricultural or farm products at a farm or "u-pick" operation, unless the person's injuries were caused by a condition that involved an unreasonable risk of harm and all of the following apply:

(a) The owner, tenant, or lessee knew or had reason to know of the condition or risk.

(b) The owner, tenant, or lessee failed to exercise reasonable care to make the condition safe, or to warn the person of the condition or risk.

(c) The person injured did not know or did not have reason to know of the condition or risk.

(6) As used in this section, "agricultural or farm products" means the natural products of the farm, nursery, grove, orchard, vineyard, garden, and apiary, including, but not limited to, trees and firewood.

This act is ordered to take immediate effect.

Secretary of the Senate

Clerk of the House of Representatives

Approved

Governor