DISABLED HUNTING: GAME BIRD PRESERVE                                            S.B. 1045 (S-2):

                                                                                                      FLOOR SUMMARY

Senate Bill 1045 (Substitute S-2 as reported)

Sponsor:  Senator John J. Gleason

Committee:  Outdoor Recreation and Tourism

CONTENT

The bill would amend Parts 401 (Wildlife Conservation) and 811 (Off-Road Recreation Vehicles) of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act to do the following with regard to activities on a State-licensed game bird hunting preserve:

-- Create an exception to requirements regarding the transport and possession of a firearm in a vehicle for a person with a disability.

-- Allow a person with a disability to possess a loaded firearm and discharge it to take an animal from in or upon a vehicle, other than a car or truck, if the vehicle were not moving.

-- Create an exception to crash helmet and eyewear requirements for off-road recreation vehicle (ORV) users, if an ORV were operated at a maximum speed of 10 miles per hour.

Under Part 401, except as otherwise provided, an individual may not transport or possess a firearm in or upon a vehicle, unless the firearm is unloaded and enclosed in a case, carried in the vehicle's trunk, or unloaded in a motorized boat.  The bill, however, would allow a person with a disability to transport or possess a firearm in or upon a vehicle, except for a car or truck, on a State-licensed game bird hunting preserve, if the firearm were unloaded and the vehicle were operated at a maximum speed of 10 miles per hour. 

"Person with a disability" would mean a disabled person as that term is defined in the Michigan Vehicle Code, who possesses a certificate of identification, windshield placard, or special registration plate issued to a disabled person under the Code. 

MCL 324.40111 & 324.81133                                           Legislative Analyst:  Julie Cassidy

FISCAL IMPACT

The bill would have no fiscal impact on State or local government.

Date Completed:  5-24-12                                                     Fiscal Analyst:  Josh Sefton

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.