SB-0467, As Passed Senate, June 18, 2003                                    

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                              SUBSTITUTE FOR                                    

                                                                                

                           SENATE BILL NO. 467                                  

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                 A bill to amend 1952 PA 214, entitled                                             

                                                                                

    "An act authorizing the Mackinac bridge authority to acquire a              

    bridge connecting the upper and lower peninsulas of Michigan,               

    including causeways, tunnels, roads and all useful related                  

    equipment and facilities, including park, parking, recreation,              

    lighting and terminal facilities; extending the corporate                   

    existence of the authority; authorizing such authority to enjoy             

    and carry out all powers incident to its corporate objects;                 

    authorizing the appropriation and use of state funds for the                

    preliminary purposes of the authority; providing for the payment            

    of the cost of such bridge and in that connection authorizing the           

    authority to issue revenue bonds payable solely from the revenues           

    of the bridge; granting the right of condemnation to the                    

    authority; granting the use of state land and property to the               

    authority; making provisions for the payment and security of such           

    bonds and granting certain rights and remedies to the holders               

    thereof; authorizing banks and trust companies to perform certain           

    acts in connection therewith; authorizing the imposition of tolls           

    and charges; authorizing the authority to secure the consent of             

    the United States government to the construction of the bridge              

    and to secure approval of plans, specifications and location of             

    same; authorizing employment of engineers irrespective of whether           

    such engineers have been previously employed to make preliminary            

    inspections or reports with respect to the bridge; authorizing              

    the state highway department to operate and maintain such bridge            

    or to contribute thereto and enter into leases and agreements in            

    connection therewith; exempting such bonds and the property of              

    the authority from taxation; prohibiting competing traffic                  


                                                                                

    facilities; authorizing the operation of ferries by the                     

    authority; providing for the construction and use of certain                

    buildings; and making an appropriation,"                                    

                                                                                

    by amending section 12 (MCL 254.322).                                       

                                                                                

                THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:                      

                                                                                

1       Sec. 12.  (1)  No free use of such bridge shall be                          

                                                                                

2   permitted, but  Except as provided in this section, all                     

                                                                                

3   individuals or vehicles using  such  the bridge shall pay  the              

                                                                                

4   tolls and charges established  for such use  by the authority.              

                                                                                

5   This provision, however, shall not apply to the operating                  

                                                                                

6   personnel or vehicles of the authority.  The authority shall not            

                                                                                

7   charge tolls or charges to its own personnel or vehicles.                   

                                                                                

8   Beginning July 1, 2003, the authority shall not charge tolls or             

                                                                                

9   charges to authorized emergency vehicles that are in the process            

                                                                                

10  of responding to an emergency, transporting a patient from a                

                                                                                

11  health facility or agency to another health facility or agency,             

                                                                                

12  or returning from transporting a patient from a health facility             

                                                                                

13  or agency to another health facility or agency.                             

                                                                                

14      (2) As used in this section:                                                

                                                                                

15      (a) "Authorized emergency vehicles" means that term as                      

                                                                                

16  defined in section 2 of the Michigan vehicle code, 1949 PA 300,             

                                                                                

17  MCL 257.2.                                                                  

                                                                                

18      (b) "Health facility or agency" means that term as defined                  

                                                                                

19  in section 20106 of the public health code, 1978 PA 368, MCL                

                                                                                

20  333.20106.