January 28, 2004, Introduced by Senator SANBORN and referred to the Committee on Senior Citizens and Veterans Affairs.
A bill to amend 1981 PA 180, entitled
"Older Michiganians act,"
(MCL 400.581 to 400.594) by adding section 13a.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:
1 Sec. 13a. (1) The secretary of state shall establish a
2 Michigan card program and provide a Michigan card to a resident
3 of this state who applies to the secretary of state for a card
4 and who is disabled or is 60 years of age or older. The director
5 shall devise programs to provide benefits of any kind to
6 cardholders and encourage support and participation in those
7 programs by all persons, including governmental organizations.
8 Cardholders are entitled to the benefits granted to them by
9 private persons or organizations, the laws of this state, or
10 ordinances or resolutions of political subdivisions of this
11 state. A resident of this state who is the holder of a similar
1 card from another state is entitled to the same benefits as a
2 cardholder whose card has been issued in this state, if the other
3 state provides similar benefits to the holders of cards issued by
4 other states. This section does not require a person or an
5 organization to provide benefits to a cardholder. The secretary
6 of state shall bear the costs of producing, distributing, and
7 administrating the cards.
8 (2) Before issuing a Michigan card to an individual, the
9 director shall verify the identity of the individual who applies
10 for the card and shall also verify that the individual is
11 disabled or is 60 years of age or older.
12 (3) The director shall promulgate rules under the
13 administrative procedures act of 1969, 1969 PA 306, MCL 24.201 to
14 24.328, to prevent the issuance of a card to an individual not
15 qualified to have one. A card shall contain the signature of the
16 cardholder and any other information that the secretary of state
17 considers necessary to effectuate the purposes of this section.
18 (4) A card that the director issues shall be held in
19 perpetuity by the original cardholder and is not transferable.
20 An individual who loses his or her card may obtain another card
21 from the secretary of state.
22 (5) An individual shall not use a Michigan card to obtain a
23 benefit for someone other than the cardholder.
24 (6) As used in this section, "disabled" means a disability as
25 defined in section 216 of title II of the social security act, 42
26 U.S.C. 416.