PFC BRETT WITTEVEEN MEM. HWY S.B. 585:
SUMMARY AS ENACTED
Senate Bill 585 (as enacted) PUBLIC ACT 139 of 2020
Senate Committee: Transportation and Infrastructure
House Committee: Transportation
Ways and Means
CONTENT
The bill amended the Michigan Memorial Highway Act to designate the portion of Highway US-31 in Oceana County beginning at the W. Shelby Road exit 144 and continuing north to the Hart Polk Road exit 149 as the "PFC Brett Witteveen Memorial Highway".
The Act designates the portion of Highway US-31 beginning at the border between Michigan and Indiana in Berrien County and extending to the Straits of Mackinac at the county line of Emmet and Cheboygan Counties, excluding the portion of Highway US-31 beginning at the intersection with Robbins Road in the City of Grand Haven and continuing north to the intersection of Jackson Street as the "Blue Star Memorial Highway". The Act also designates the part of Highway US-31 beginning at the county line of Muskegon and Oceana Counties and extending north to the county line of Mason and Manistee Counties as the "Pere Marquette Memorial Highway".
The bill excludes from these designations the portion of Highway US-31 in Oceana County beginning at the W. Shelby Road exit 144 and continuing north to the Hart Polk Road exit 149 and designates it as the "PFC Brett Witteveen Memorial Highway".
The bill took effect July 8, 2020.
MCL 250.1011 et al.
BACKGROUND
Private First Class Witteveen was born on November 11, 1986, in Fremont, Michigan. After graduating from Hart High School in 2005, PFC Witteveen enlisted with the Marines and was assigned to Marine Forces Reserve's 1st Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He was deployed to Iraq in October 2006 to serve as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. On February 18, 2007, while on patrol in Fallujah, Anbar Province, Iraq, PFC Witteveen sustained injuries while conducting combat operations. He died from those injuries the following day. He was 20 years old.
Legislative Analyst: Tyler VanHuyse
FISCAL IMPACT
The bill will have no fiscal impact on State or local government. The Act specifies that the Department of Transportation may provide for the erection and maintenance of markers
designating the name of a highway only when sufficient private funds are available to cover the costs of erecting and maintaining those markers. As such, private funds will cover the cost of the renaming, and no State funds will be used.
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.