COMMERCIAL QUADRICYCLE                                                          S.B. 165 (S-1) & 166:

                                                                                                    SUMMARY OF BILL

                                                                                      REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE

Senate Bill 165 (Substitute S-1 as reported)

Senate Bill 166 (as reported without amendment)

Sponsor:  Senator Wayne Schmidt (S.B. 165)

               Senator Tom Casperson (S.B. 166)

Committee:  Transportation

CONTENT

Senate Bill 165 (S-1) would amend the Michigan Vehicle Code to do the following:

-- Require a commercial quadricycle owner to furnish a minimum of $2.0 million of bodily injury and property damage of liability insurance.

-- Allow a commercial quadricycle passenger to possess or transport open alcohol unless prohibited by a local ordinance.

-- Prohibit a person from operating a commercial quadricycle with any bodily alcohol content, and prescribe misdemeanor penalties for a violation.

-- Designate other Code violations involving commercial quadricycles as civil infractions and prescribe a fine.

-- Extend to a commercial quadricycle certain provisions that apply to the operation of a bicycle, electric personal assistive mobility device, moped, or low-speed vehicle.

-- Prohibit an individual from operating a commercial quadricycle equipped with a motor without a valid driver's license.

-- Authorize a local unit of government to regulate the operation of commercial quadricycles.

Senate Bill 166 would amend the Code to provide that the term "motor vehicle" would not include a commercial quadricycle, and to define "commercial quadricycle" as a vehicle that meets all of the following criteria:

-- Has fully operative pedals for propulsion entirely by human power.

-- Has at least four wheels and is operated in a manner similar to a bicycle.

-- Has at least six seats for passengers.

-- Is designed to be occupied by a driver and powered either by passengers providing pedal power to the vehicle's drive train or by a motor capable of propelling the vehicle in the absence of human power.

-- Is used for commercial purposes.

-- Is operated by the vehicle's owner or an employee of the owner.

The bills are tie-barred.

MCL 257.624a et al. (S.B. 165)                                        Legislative Analyst:  Julie Cassidy

       257.33 et al. (S.B. 166)

FISCAL IMPACT

The bills would have no fiscal impact on State government. To the extent that the proposed misdemeanor resulted in more convictions or the proposed civil infraction resulted in more civil infraction determinations, there could be an increase in costs to local courts and law

enforcement. Additionally, any fine revenue from misdemeanor convictions or civil infraction determinations would be dedicated to public libraries.

Date Completed:  5-4-15                                                     Fiscal Analyst:  John Maxwell

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.