H.B. 4774 (H-1): COMMITTEE SUMMARY             PURPLE LOOSESTRIFE: PROHIBIT SALE

House Bill 4774 (Substitute H-1)

Sponsor: Representative James Middaugh

House Committee: Conservation, Environment and Great Lakes Senate Committee: Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs

Date Completed: 9-11-95

SUMMARY OF HOUSE BILL 4774 (Substitute H-1) as passed by the House:

The bill would amend the Insect Pest and Plant Disease Act to prohibit a person from selling, offering to sell, or distributing seed from purple loosestrife in Michigan. “Purple loosestrife” would mean a nonnative member of the genus lythrum, or hybrid of that genus.

In addition, the bill would prohibit a person from selling at retail or offering to sell at retail any nonnative cultivars of the genus lythrum, or hybrids of that genus, except for the cultivars of lythrum virgatum commercially known as rose queen, the rocket, morden pink, morden gleam, morden rose, dropmore purple, or columbia pink.

Further, as of January 1, 1997, retail sales of purple loosestrife would not be allowed in Michigan, except for cultivars developed and recognized to be sterile and approved by the Director of the Department of Agriculture.

The bill would allow one exception to these prohibitions: The Department of Agriculture could issue a permit authorizing a person to conduct research using purple loosestrife.

Proposed MCL 286.216a                                                              Legislative Analyst: L. Burghardt

FISCAL IMPACT

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

Fiscal Analyst: A. Rich

S9596\S4774SA

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.

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