MEM. HWY DESIGNATION AUTH.; TAMC S.B. 1081:
SUMMARY OF INTRODUCED BILL
IN COMMITTEE
Senate Bill 1081 (as introduced 6-14-22)
Committee: Transportation and Infrastructure
CONTENT
The bill would amend the Michigan Memorial Highway Act to require the Transportation Asset Management Council (TAMC), beginning on the bill's effective date, to designate memorial highways under the Act and to do so only for individuals who died in the line of duty in the service of the State or a local community, who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces, or who demonstrated acts of great heroism or valor that disregarded his or her own safety to protect the lives of others.
The Act specifies that the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) must provide for the erection and maintenance of suitable markers at the approach of any of the highways that are prescribed as memorial highways only if sufficient private contributions are received to pay for the cost of erecting and maintaining those markers. The bill also would require MDOT to provide for the erection and maintenance of suitable markers as described above if the TAMC designated a highway as a memorial highway as described below.
Under the bill, beginning on the bill's effective date, the TAMC would have to designate memorial highways under the Act. The TAMC could designate a memorial highway only for an individual who did either of the following:
-- Died in the line of duty in the service of the State or a local community or while serving in the United States Armed Forces.
-- Demonstrated acts of great heroism or valor that disregarded his or her own safety to protect the lives of others.
The bill would require the TAMC to do all the following:
-- Create an electronic application form that would have to be made available on its website for the public to submit applications to designate a memorial highway.
-- Meet at least two times per year to discuss, and approve or reject, applications to designate a memorial highway.
-- Develop procedures to notify an applicant that his or her application to designate a memorial highway had been approved or rejected.
MCL 250.1002 et al. Legislative Analyst: Tyler P. VanHuyse
FISCAL IMPACT
The bill likely would result in minor expenses for the TAMC to develop and post an application for highway naming, as well as to meet twice per year to assess those applications. Otherwise, the bill would have no fiscal impact on State or local government because the bill would require that private contributions be used to cover the cost of highway naming markers.
Fiscal Analyst: Michael Siracuse
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.