SB-0842, As Passed House, February 19, 2004

HOUSE SUBSTITUTE FOR

SENATE BILL NO. 842

                                                                             A bill to amend 1949 PA 300, entitled                                             

"Michigan vehicle code,"                                                    

(MCL 257.1 to 257.923) by adding section 616a.                              

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

1   Sec. 616a.  (1) Except as provided in subsections (3) and                   

2   (4), a person shall not do any of the following:                            

3       (a) Possess a portable signal preemption device.                            

4       (b) Use a portable signal preemption device.                                

5       (c) Sell a portable signal preemption device to a person                    

6   other than a person described in subsection (3).                            

7       (d) Purchase a portable signal preemption device for use                    

8   other than a duty as described in subsections (3) and (4).                  

9   (2) A person who violates subsection (1) is guilty of a crime               

10  as follows:                                                                 

11      (a) A person who violates subsection (1)(a) is guilty of a                  

1   misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than 90 days            

2   or a fine of not more than $5,000.00, or both.                              

3       (b) Except as provided in subdivisions (c), (d), and (e), a person          

4   who violates subsection (1)(b) is guilty of a felony punishable             

5   by imprisonment for not more than 2 years or a fine of not more             

6   than $10,000.00, or both.                                                   

7       (c) A person who violates subsection (1)(b), which violation                

8   results in a traffic accident, is guilty of a felony punishable             

9   by imprisonment for not more than 5 years or a fine of not more             

10  than $15,000.00, or both.                                                   

11      (d) A person who violates subsection (1)(b), which violation                

12  results in the serious impairment of a body function, is guilty             

13  of a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than 10 years           

14  or a fine of not more than $20,000.00, or both.                             

15      (e) A person who violates subsection (1)(b), which violation                

16  results in the death of another, is guilty of a felony punishable           

17  by imprisonment for not more than 15 years or a fine of not more            

18  than $25,000.00, or both.                                                   

19      (f) A person who violates subsection (1)(c) or (d) is guilty                

20  of a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than 2 years            

21  or a fine of not more than $10,000.00, or both.                             

22      (3) This section does not apply to any of the following:                    

23      (a) A law enforcement agency in the course of providing law                 

24  enforcement services.                                                       

25      (b) A fire station or a firefighter in the course of                        

26  providing fire prevention or fire extinguishing services.                   

27  (c) An emergency medical service or ambulance in the course                 

1   of providing emergency medical transportation or ambulance                  

2   services.                                                                   

3       (d) An operator, passenger, or owner of an authorized                       

4   emergency vehicle in the course of his or her emergency duties.             

5       (4) Subsection (1)(a) does not apply to either of the                       

6   following:                                                                  

7       (a) A mail or package delivery service or employee or agent                 

8   of a mail or package delivery service in the course of shipping             

9   or delivering a portable signal preemption device.                          

10      (b) An employee or agent of a portable signal preemption                    

11  device manufacturer or retailer in the course of his or her                 

12  employment in providing, selling, manufacturing, or transporting            

13  a portable signal preemption device to an individual or agency              

14  described in this subsection.                                               

15      (5) As used in this section:                                                

16      (a) "Portable signal preemption device" means a device that,                

17  if activated by a person, is capable of changing a traffic                  

18  control signal to green out of sequence.                                    

19      (b) "Serious impairment of a body function" means that term                 

20  as defined in section 58c.

21      Enacting section 1.  This amendatory act takes effect 90                    

22  days after it is enacted.