HOUSE BILL No. 6319

 

July 1, 2010, Introduced by Rep. Ball and referred to the Committee on Tourism, Outdoor Recreation and Natural Resources.

 

      A bill to amend 1994 PA 451, entitled

 

"Natural resources and environmental protection act,"

 

by amending sections 80123 and 80124 (MCL 324.80123 and

 

324.80124), section 80123 as added by 1995 PA 58 and section

 

80124 as amended by 2007 PA 8.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

 1        Sec. 80123. (1) The owner of a vessel is not required to pay

 

 2  a fee and a vessel is not required to be numbered and to display

 

 3  a decal under this part if the vessel is 1 or more of the

 

 4  following:

 

 5        (a) Used temporarily on the waters of this state and the

 

 6  owner and the vessel are from a country other than the United

 

 7  States.

 

 8        (b) A vessel that is owned by the United States, used in the

 


 1  public service for purposes other than recreation, and clearly

 

 2  identifiable as such a vessel.

 

 3        (c) A vessel's lifeboat.

 

 4        (d) An all-terrain vehicle not used as a vessel.

 

 5        (e) A raft, sailboard, surfboard, or swim float.

 

 6        (f) A vessel 16 feet or less, propelled by hand either with

 

 7  oars or paddles, and not used for rental or other commercial

 

 8  purposes.

 

 9        (g) A nonmotorized canoe or kayak not used for rental or

 

10  other commercial purposes.

 

11        (2) The owner of a vessel documented by the United States

 

12  coast guard or a federal agency that is the successor to the

 

13  United States coast guard shall comply with this part, including

 

14  the payment of fees as provided in this part. However, the vessel

 

15  shall not be required to display numbers under this part.

 

16        (3) This part does not prohibit the numbering of an

 

17  undocumented vessel pursuant to under this part upon request by

 

18  the owner, even though the vessel is exempt from the numbering

 

19  requirements of this part.

 

20        Sec. 80124. (1) Except as otherwise provided in this

 

21  section, the owner of a vessel required to be numbered and to

 

22  display a decal under this part shall file an application for a

 

23  certificate of number with the secretary of state. The secretary

 

24  of state shall prescribe and furnish certificate of title

 

25  application forms. If a vessel requiring a certificate of title

 

26  under part 803 is sold by a dealer, that dealer shall combine the

 

27  application for a certificate of number that is signed by the

 


 1  vessel owner with the application for a certificate of title. The

 

 2  dealer shall obtain the certificate of number in the name of the

 

 3  owner. The owner of the vessel shall sign the application. A

 

 4  person shall not file an application for a certificate of number

 

 5  that contains false information. A dealer who fails to submit an

 

 6  application as required by this section is guilty of a

 

 7  misdemeanor, punishable by imprisonment for not more than 90

 

 8  days, or a fine of not more than $100.00, or both.

 

 9        (2) A dealer who submits an application for a certificate of

 

10  number as provided in subsection (1) may issue to the owner of

 

11  the vessel a 15-day temporary permit, on forms prescribed by the

 

12  secretary of state, for the use of the vessel while the

 

13  certificate of number is being issued.

 

14        (3) A dealer may issue a 15-day permit, on a form prescribed

 

15  by the secretary of state, for the use of a vessel purchased in

 

16  this state and delivered to the purchaser for removal to a place

 

17  outside of this state, if the purchaser certifies by his or her

 

18  signature that the vessel will be registered and primarily used

 

19  and stored outside of this state and will not be returned to this

 

20  state by the purchaser for use or storage. A certificate of

 

21  number shall not be issued for a vessel holding a permit under

 

22  this subsection.

 

23        (4) A 15-day temporary permit issued under subsection (2) or

 

24  (3) shall not be renewed or extended.

 

25        (5) A person shall operate or permit the operation of a

 

26  vessel for which a 15-day temporary permit has been issued under

 

27  this section only if the temporary permit is valid and displayed

 


 1  on the vessel as prescribed by rule promulgated by the department

 

 2  under this part.

 

 3        (6) Except as otherwise provided in this section, an

 

 4  applicant shall pay the following fee at the time of application:

 

 

     (a) A 15-day temporary permit issued under

subsection (3)........................................ $    10.00

     (b) Nonpowered vessels, other than nonmotorized

canoes or kayaks, except as provided in section 80123.. 9.00 5.00

     (c) Nonmotorized canoes or kayaks except as

10 provided in section 80123..............................      5.00

11      (c) (d) Motorboats less than 12 feet in length....     14.00

12      (d) (e) Motorboats 12 feet or over but less than

13 16 feet in length......................................     17.00

14      (e) (f) Motorboats 16 feet or over but less than

15 21 feet in length......................................     42.00

16      (f) (g) Motorboats 21 feet or over but less than

17 28 feet in length......................................    115.00

18      (g) (h) Motorboats 28 feet or over but less than

19 35 feet in length......................................    168.00

20      (h) (i) Motorboats 35 feet or over but less than

21 42 feet in length......................................    244.00

22      (i) (j) Motorboats 42 feet or over but less than

23 50 feet in length......................................    280.00

24      (j) (k) Motorboats 50 feet in length or over......    448.00

25      (k) (l) Pontoon vessels regardless of size........     23.00

26      (l) (m) Motorized canoes regardless of size.......     14.00

27      (m) (n) Vessels licensed under part 473...........     15.00

28      (n) (o) Vessels carrying passengers for hire that

29 are in compliance with part 445, or under federal law;

30 and vessels carrying passengers and freight or freight


only and owned within this state or hailing from a

port within this state.................................     45.00

 

 

 3        (7) As used in this section, "the length of a vessel" means

 

 4  the distance from end to end over the deck, excluding the

 

 5  longitudinal upward or downward curve of the deck, fore and aft.

 

 6  A pontoon boat shall be measured by the length of its deck, fore

 

 7  and aft.

 

 8        (8) Payment of the fee specified in this section exempts the

 

 9  vessel from the tax imposed under the general property tax act,

 

10  1893 PA 206, MCL 211.1 to 211.155.

 

11        (9) Upon receipt of an initial application for a certificate

 

12  of number in approved form and payment of the required fee, the

 

13  secretary of state shall enter the information upon the official

 

14  records and issue to the applicant a certificate of number

 

15  containing the number awarded to the vessel, the name and address

 

16  of the owner, and other information that the secretary of state

 

17  determines necessary. The secretary of state shall issue a

 

18  certificate of number that is pocket size and legible. Except as

 

19  provided in subsection (13), a person operating a vessel shall

 

20  present that vessel's certificate of number to a peace officer

 

21  upon the peace officer's request.

 

22        (10) If a check or draft payable to the secretary of state

 

23  under this part is not paid on its first presentation, the fee or

 

24  tax is delinquent as of the date the draft or check was tendered.

 

25  The person tendering the check or draft remains liable for the

 

26  payment of each fee or tax and a penalty.

 


 1        (11) Upon determining that a fee or tax required by this

 

 2  part has not been paid and remains unpaid after reasonable notice

 

 3  and demand, the secretary of state may suspend a certificate of

 

 4  number.

 

 5        (12) If a person who tenders a check or draft described in

 

 6  subsection (10) fails to pay a fee or tax within 15 days after

 

 7  the secretary of state gives him or her notice that the check or

 

 8  draft described in subsection (10) was not paid on its first

 

 9  presentation, the secretary of state shall assess and collect a

 

10  penalty of $5.00 or 20% of the check or draft, whichever is

 

11  larger, in addition to the fee or tax.

 

12        (13) The owner or authorized agent of the owner of a vessel

 

13  less than 26 feet in length that is leased or rented to a person

 

14  for noncommercial use for not more than 24 hours may retain, at

 

15  the place from which the vessel departs or returns to the

 

16  possession of the owner or the owner's representative, the

 

17  certificate of number for that vessel if a copy of the lease or

 

18  rental agreement is on the vessel. Upon the demand of a peace

 

19  officer, the operator shall produce for inspection either the

 

20  certificate of number or a copy of the lease or rental agreement

 

21  for that vessel. The lease or rental agreement shall contain each

 

22  of the following:

 

23        (a) The vessel number that appears on the certificate of

 

24  number.

 

25        (b) The period of time for which the vessel is leased or

 

26  rented.

 

27        (c) The signature of the vessel's owner or that person's

 


 1  authorized agent.

 

 2        (d) The signature of the person leasing or renting the

 

 3  vessel.

 

 4        (14) Upon receipt of a certificate of number for a vessel,

 

 5  the owner of that vessel shall paint on or attach in a permanent

 

 6  manner to each side of the forward half of the vessel the number

 

 7  identified in the certificate of number, in the manner prescribed

 

 8  by rules promulgated by the department. The secretary of state

 

 9  shall assign to the owner of vessels for rent or lease a block of

 

10  numbers sufficient to number consecutively all of that owner's

 

11  rental or lease vessels. The owner shall maintain the numbers in

 

12  a legible condition. A vessel documented by the United States

 

13  coast guard or a federal agency that is the successor to the

 

14  United States coast guard is not required to display numbers

 

15  under this part but shall display a decal indicating payment of

 

16  the fee prescribed in subsection (6), and shall otherwise be in

 

17  compliance with this part. This subsection does not apply to a

 

18  nonpowered vessel 12 feet or less in length.

 

19        (15) Upon receipt of an application for a certificate of

 

20  number in an approved form and payment of the fee required by

 

21  this part, the secretary of state shall issue a decal that is

 

22  color-coded and dated to identify the year of its expiration, and

 

23  that indicates that the vessel is numbered in compliance with

 

24  this part. The department shall promulgate a rule or rules to

 

25  establish the manner in which the decal is to be displayed. A

 

26  person who operates a vessel in violation of a rule promulgated

 

27  to implement this subsection is responsible for a state civil

 


 1  infraction and may be ordered to pay a civil fine of not more

 

 2  than $500.00.

 

 3        (16) A decal is valid for a 3-year period that begins on

 

 4  April 1 and expires on March 31 of the third year. An original

 

 5  certificate of number may be issued up to 90 days before April 1.

 

 6  A numbering renewal decal or other renewal device may be issued

 

 7  up to 90 days before the expiration of a certificate.

 

 8        (17) Upon receipt of a request for renewal of a decal and

 

 9  payment of the fee prescribed in subsection (6), the secretary of

 

10  state shall issue to the applicant a decal as provided in

 

11  subsection (15). A person who operates a vessel for which no

 

12  decal was issued as required under this section or for which a

 

13  decal has expired is responsible for a state civil infraction and

 

14  may be ordered to pay a civil fine of not more than $500.00.

 

15        (18) A person who fails to register or renew his or her

 

16  registration before its expiration shall pay a late fee of $10.00

 

17  in addition to the renewal registration fee under subsection (6).

 

18  A late fee collected under this subsection shall be credited to

 

19  the marine safety fund separately from, and in addition to, any

 

20  other revenue collected under section 80115(1)(c). As used in

 

21  this subsection, "marine safety fund" means that term as

 

22  described in section 2035.

 

23        (19) (18) The numbering system adopted under this part shall

 

24  be in accordance with the standard system of numbering

 

25  established by the secretary of the department in which the

 

26  United States coast guard operates.

 

27        (20) (19) An agency of this state, a political subdivision

 


 1  of this state, or a state supported college or university of this

 

 2  state that owns a vessel that is required to be numbered under

 

 3  this part shall register that vessel and upon payment of either

 

 4  of the following shall receive from the secretary of state a

 

 5  certificate of number for that vessel:

 

 6        (a) A fee of $3.00 for a vessel that is not used for

 

 7  recreational, commercial, or rental purposes.

 

 8        (b) The fee required under subsection (6) for a vessel that

 

 9  is used for recreational, commercial, or rental purposes.

 

10        (21) (20) The secretary of state shall, upon receipt of

 

11  payment of the fee required under subsection (19), (20), issue a

 

12  certificate of number for each vessel subject to subsection (19)

 

13  (20).

 

14        (22) (21) A vessel that is 30 years of age or older and not

 

15  used other than in club activities, exhibitions, tours, parades,

 

16  and other similar activities is a historic vessel. The secretary

 

17  of state shall make available to the public application forms for

 

18  certificates of number for historic vessels and, upon receipt of

 

19  a completed application form and fee, shall number a historic

 

20  vessel as a historic vessel. The fee for the numbering of a

 

21  historic vessel is 1/3 of the otherwise applicable fee specified

 

22  in subsection (6).

 

23        (22) Upon application to the secretary of state, the owner

 

24  of a nonmotorized canoe or kayak who registered that vessel under

 

25  former 1967 PA 303 between January 1, 1989 and April 17, 1990

 

26  shall receive a refund of a portion of the registration fee equal

 

27  to the difference in the amount that owner paid and the fee

 


 1  amount provided in subsection (6)(c).

 

 2        (23) The secretary of state shall refund to the owner of a

 

 3  vessel registered under this part or former 1967 PA 303 all of

 

 4  the registration fee paid for that vessel under this section or

 

 5  section 33 of former 1967 PA 303 if all of the following

 

 6  conditions are met during the period for which the registration

 

 7  fee was paid:

 

 8        (a) The owner transfers or assigns title or interest in the

 

 9  registered vessel before placing the decal issued under

 

10  subsection (15) on the vessel.

 

11        (b) The owner surrenders the unused decal to the secretary

 

12  of state within 30 days after the date of transfer or assignment.

 

13        (23) (24) The secretary of state shall refund to the

 

14  surviving spouse of a deceased vessel owner the unexpired portion

 

15  of the registration fee paid under this part, prorated on a

 

16  monthly basis, upon receipt of the decal issued under subsection

 

17  (15) or evidence satisfactory to the secretary of state that the

 

18  decal issued under subsection (15) has been destroyed or voided.

 

19        (24) (25) If the secretary of state computes a fee under

 

20  this part that results in a figure other than a whole dollar

 

21  amount, the secretary of state shall round the figure to the

 

22  nearest whole dollar.