SENATE BILL No. 1171

 

 

April 27, 2004, Introduced by Senator VAN WOERKOM and referred to the Committee on Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs.

 

 

        

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                 A bill to amend 1994 PA 451, entitled                                             

                                                                                

    "Natural resources and environmental protection act,"                       

                                                                                

    by amending sections 8901 and 8904 (MCL 324.8901 and 324.8904),             

                                                                                

    section 8904 as amended by 1998 PA 15.                                      

                                                                                

                THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:                      

                                                                                

1       Sec. 8901.  As used in this part:                                           

                                                                                

2       (a) "Litter" means  all  rubbish, refuse, waste material,                   

                                                                                

3   garbage, offal, paper, glass, cans, bottles, trash, debris, or              

                                                                                

4   other foreign substances or a vehicle that is considered                    

                                                                                

5   abandoned under section 252a of the Michigan vehicle code, 1949             

                                                                                

6   PA 300, MCL 257.252a.                                                       

                                                                                

7       (b) "Public or private property or water" includes, but is                  

                                                                                

8   not limited to, any of the following:                                       

                                                                                

9                                                                                (i) The right-of-way of a road or highway, a body of water or                       

                                                                                

10  watercourse, or the shore or beach of  the  a body of water or              

                                                                                


                                                                                

1   watercourse, including the ice above the water.                             

                                                                                

2       (ii) A park, playground, building, refuge, or conservation or                

                                                                                

3   recreation area.                                                            

                                                                                

4       (iii) Residential or farm properties or timberlands.                         

                                                                                

5       (c) "Vehicle" means  every  a motor vehicle registered or                   

                                                                                

6   required to be registered under the Michigan vehicle code,  Act             

                                                                                

7   No. 300 of the Public Acts of 1949, being sections 257.1 to                 

                                                                                

8   257.923 of the Michigan Compiled Laws  1949 PA 300, MCL 257.1 to            

                                                                                

9   257.923.                                                                    

                                                                                

10      (d) "Vessel" means a vessel registered under  the marine                    

                                                                                

11  safety act, Act No. 303 of the Public Acts of 1967, being                   

                                                                                

12  sections 281.1001 to 281.1199 of the Michigan Compiled Laws  part           

                                                                                

13  801.                                                                        

                                                                                

14      Sec. 8904.  (1) Except as provided in subsection (3)                        

                                                                                

15  involving litter from a leased vehicle or leased vessel, in a               

                                                                                

16  proceeding for a violation of this part involving litter from a             

                                                                                

17  motor vehicle or vessel, proof that the particular vehicle or               

                                                                                

18  vessel described in the citation, complaint, or warrant was used            

                                                                                

19  in the violation, together with proof that the defendant named in           

                                                                                

20  the citation, complaint, or warrant was the registered owner of             

                                                                                

21  the vehicle or vessel at the time of the violation,  constitutes            

                                                                                

22  an evidentiary  gives rise to a rebuttable presumption that the             

                                                                                

23  registered owner of the vehicle or vessel was the driver of the             

                                                                                

24  vehicle or vessel at the time of the violation.                             

                                                                                

25      (2)  The  There is a rebuttable presumption that the driver                 

                                                                                

26  of a vehicle or vessel is  presumed to be  responsible for litter           

                                                                                

27  that is thrown, dumped, deposited, placed, or left from the                 


                                                                                

1   vehicle or vessel on public or private property or water.                   

                                                                                

2       (3) In a proceeding for a violation of this part involving                  

                                                                                

3   litter from a leased motor vehicle or leased vessel, proof that             

                                                                                

4   the particular vehicle or vessel described in the citation,                 

                                                                                

5   complaint, or warrant was used in the violation, together with              

                                                                                

6   proof that the defendant named in the citation, complaint, or               

                                                                                

7   warrant was the lessee of the vehicle or vessel at the time of              

                                                                                

8   the violation,  constitutes an evidentiary  gives rise to a                 

                                                                                

9   rebuttable presumption that the lessee of the vehicle or vessel             

                                                                                

10  was the driver of the vehicle or vessel at the time of the                  

                                                                                

11  violation.                                                                  

                                                                                

12      (4)  This section shall not apply if a sanction for the                     

                                                                                

13  conduct is prescribed in section 8905a.  In a proceeding for a              

                                                                                

14  violation of this part involving litter consisting of an                    

                                                                                

15  abandoned vehicle, proof that the particular vehicle described in           

                                                                                

16  the citation, complaint, or warrant was abandoned, and that the             

                                                                                

17  defendant named in the citation, complaint, or warrant was the              

                                                                                

18  titled owner or lessee of the vehicle at the time it was                    

                                                                                

19  abandoned, gives rise to a rebuttable presumption that the                  

                                                                                

20  defendant abandoned the vehicle.