HOUSE BILL No. 4930


     June 7, 2001, Introduced by Reps. Basham, Schauer, Callahan, DeRossett, Plakas, Mans, Bogardus and Lemmons and referred to the Committee on
Conservation and Outdoor Recreation.


        A bill to establish the Great Lakes endowment fund in the

   department of environmental quality; to provide for the distribu-

   tion of money from the fund; to prescribe the duties and powers

   of certain agencies and officials; and to provide for

   appropriations.

               THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

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           Sec. 1.  This act shall be known and may be cited as the

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      "Great Lakes endowment fund act".

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           Sec. 2.  As used in this act:

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           (a) "Department" means the department of environmental

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      quality.

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           (b) "Fund" means the Great Lakes endowment fund created in

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      section 3.

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           (c) "Local governmental unit" means a city, village,

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      township, or county.


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           (d) "Nonprofit organization" means an organization exempt

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      from taxation under section 501(c)(3) of the internal revenue

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      code of 1986.

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           Sec. 3.  (1) Effective January 1, 2001, the Great Lakes

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      endowment fund is created in the department to provide funds for

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      water quality monitoring and water pollution prevention

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      programs.

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           (2) The state treasurer shall direct the investment of the

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      fund.

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           (3) Money in the fund at the close of the year shall remain

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      in the fund and shall not lapse to the general fund.

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           (4) The fund shall consist of all money credited to the fund

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      pursuant to section 438 of the income tax act of 1967, 1967 PA

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      281, MCL 206.438, any interest and earnings accruing from the

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      saving and investment of that money, grants, and other appropria-

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      tions, money, or things of value.

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           Sec. 4.  The principal, interest, and earnings of the fund

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      shall be expended solely for the purposes described in this act.

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           Sec. 5.  The money in the fund shall be used to provide

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      grants for the following purposes:

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           (a) Projects approved by the department that monitor surface

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      water and groundwater quality to determine sources and levels of

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      water quality impairment, including, but not limited to, testing

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      public bathing beaches, investigating spills, and monitoring fish

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      contamination.

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           (b) To develop and maintain a statewide database of

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      information on water quality in this state coordinated by the



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      department and available electronically and otherwise to the

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      public.  The information available shall include, but not be

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      limited to, the safety of public bathing beaches, levels of sport

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      fish contamination, and other information of general public

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      interest.  For the 2001, 2002, and 2003 state fiscal years, the

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      department may use up to 25% of the money available in the fund

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      for distribution during those state fiscal years to establish the

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      database described in this subdivision.

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           (c) To monitor and report the levels of residential, commer-

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      cial, agricultural, and other water consumption to assure compli-

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      ance with the Great Lakes charter of 1985 signed by the governors

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      and premiers of each of the Great Lakes states and provinces on

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      February 11, 1985, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and to support this

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      state's participation in the interstate notification and consul-

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      tation process provided by that charter.

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           (d) Projects approved by the department to prevent pollution

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      of surface water and groundwater including, but not limited to,

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      providing public education, technical assistance to businesses,

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      and assisting the development of partnerships between individual

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      businesses and communities to identify and reduce sources of pol-

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      lution that may affect water quality.

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           Sec. 6.  (1) The department shall solicit and approve pro-

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      posals for grants for funding under this act.

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           (2) Except as provided in section 5, each state fiscal year,

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      not less than 90% of the money available for distribution each

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      year shall be distributed as grants to local governmental units

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      and nonprofit organizations.  Each state fiscal year, the



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      department may retain not more than 10% of the funds available

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      for distribution for administrative and other departmental costs

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      related to the fund and grants made pursuant to this act.

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           Sec. 7.  The money in the fund that is available for distri-

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      bution shall be appropriated each year.

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           Enacting section 1.  This act does not take effect unless

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      Senate Bill No. _____ or House Bill No. 4929 (request

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      no. 03723'01) of the 91st Legislature is enacted into law.








































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