HOUSE BILL No. 4172

 

February 2, 2005, Introduced by Reps. Leland, Tobocman, Hunter, Lipsey, Kathleen Law and Clack and referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, Great Lakes, Land Use, and Environment.

 

     A bill to amend the Initiated Law of 1976, entitled

 

"A petition to initiate legislation to provide for the use of

returnable containers for soft drinks, soda water, carbonated

natural or mineral water, other nonalcoholic carbonated drink, and

for beer, ale, or other malt drink of whatever alcoholic content,

and for certain other beverage containers; to provide for the use

of unredeemed bottle deposits; to prescribe the powers and duties

of certain state agencies and officials; and to prescribe penalties

and provide remedies,"

 

by amending section 1 (MCL 445.571), as amended by 1989 PA 93.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 1. As used in this act:

 

     (a) "Beverage" means a soft drink, soda water, carbonated

 

natural or mineral water, or other nonalcoholic carbonated drink;

 

noncarbonated water; fruit juice or a noncarbonated, nonalcoholic

 

drink that contains fruit juice; beer, ale, or other malt drink of

 

whatever alcoholic content; or a mixed wine drink or a mixed spirit


 

drink.

 

     (b) "Beverage container" means  an  1 of the following:

 

     (i) An airtight metal, glass, paper, or plastic container, or a

 

container composed of a combination of these materials,  which,  

 

that at the time of sale  ,  contains 1 gallon or less of a

 

beverage other than noncarbonated water, fruit juice, or a

 

noncarbonated, nonalcoholic drink that contains fruit juice.

 

     (ii) An airtight metal, glass, or plastic container that at the

 

time of sale contains 64 ounces or less of noncarbonated water.

 

     (iii) An airtight metal, glass, or plastic container that at the

 

time of sale contains 1 gallon or less of fruit juice or a

 

noncarbonated, nonalcoholic drink that contains fruit juice other

 

than a container composed in whole or in part of aluminum and

 

plastic or aluminum and paper in combination if the aluminum

 

content represents 10% or less of the unfilled container weight and

 

the unfilled container weight is 5% or less of the filled container

 

weight.

 

     (c) "Empty returnable container" means a beverage container  

 

which  that contains nothing except the residue of its original

 

contents.

 

     (d) "Returnable container" means a beverage container upon

 

which a deposit of  at least  not less than 10 cents has been paid,

 

or is required to be paid upon the removal of the beverage

 

container from the sale or consumption area, and for which a refund

 

of  at least  not less than 10 cents in cash is payable by every

 

dealer or distributor in this state of that beverage in beverage

 

containers, as further provided in section 2.


 

     (e) "Nonreturnable container" means a beverage container upon

 

which no deposit or a deposit of less than 10 cents has been paid,

 

or is required to be paid, upon the removal of the beverage

 

container from the sale or consumption area, or for which no cash

 

refund or a refund of less than 10 cents is payable by a dealer or

 

distributor in this state of that beverage in beverage containers,

 

as further provided in section 2.

 

     (f) "Person" means an individual, partnership, corporation,

 

limited liability company, association, or other legal entity.

 

     (g) "Dealer" means a person  who  that sells or offers for

 

sale to consumers within this state a beverage in a beverage

 

container, including an operator of a vending machine containing a

 

beverage in a beverage container.

 

     (h) "Operator of a vending machine" means  equally its  the

 

owner of a vending machine, the person who refills it, and the

 

owner or lessee of the property upon which it is located.

 

     (i) "Distributor" means a person who sells beverages in

 

beverage containers to a dealer within this state, and includes a

 

manufacturer who engages in such sales.

 

     (j) "Manufacturer" means a person who bottles, cans, or

 

otherwise places beverages in beverage containers for sale to

 

distributors, dealers, or consumers.

 

     (k) "Within this state" means within the exterior limits of

 

the state of Michigan, and includes the territory within these

 

limits owned by or ceded to the United States of America.

 

     (l) "Commission" means the  Michigan  liquor control commission

 

created in section 209 of the Michigan liquor control code of 1998,


 

1998 PA 58, MCL 436.1209.

 

     (m) "Sale or consumption area" means the premises  within  on

 

the property of the dealer or of the dealer's lessor where the sale

 

is made,  within which  where beverages in returnable containers

 

may be consumed without payment of a deposit, and, upon removing a

 

beverage container from which, where the  customer  consumer is

 

required by the dealer to pay the deposit.

 

     (n) "Nonrefillable container" means a returnable container  

 

which  that is not intended to be refilled for sale by a

 

manufacturer.

 

     (o) "Mixed wine drink" means a drink or similar product

 

marketed as a wine cooler and containing less than 7% alcohol by

 

volume, consisting of wine and  plain noncarbonated, sparkling, or

 

carbonated water and containing any 1 or more of the following:

 

     (i) Nonalcoholic beverages.

 

     (ii) Flavoring.

 

     (iii) Coloring materials.

 

     (iv) Fruit juices.

 

     (v) Fruit adjuncts.

 

     (vi) Sugar.

 

     (vii) Carbon dioxide.

 

     (viii) Preservatives.

 

     (p) "Mixed spirit drink" means a drink containing 10% or less

 

alcohol by volume consisting of distilled spirits mixed with

 

nonalcoholic beverages or flavoring or coloring materials and  

 

which  that may also contain water, fruit juices, fruit adjuncts,

 

sugar, carbon dioxide, or preservatives; or  any  a spirits based


 

beverage, regardless of the percent of alcohol by volume, that is

 

manufactured for sale in a metal beverage container.

 

     Enacting section 1.  This amendatory act takes effect January

 

1, 2007.