SENATE BILL No. 881

 

 

November 9, 2005, Introduced by Senators PATTERSON, JACOBS, GARCIA, JELINEK, KUIPERS, CROPSEY, BIRKHOLZ and TOY and referred to the Committee on Senior Citizens and Veterans Affairs.

 

 

 

     A bill to create the veterans memorial property commission; to

 

authorize the acquisition of certain property; and to provide for

 

certain duties of certain state agencies.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the

 

"veterans memorial property commission act".

 

     Sec. 2. The veterans memorial property commission is

 

established. Within 90 days after the effective date of this act,

 

the senate majority leader and the speaker of the house of

 

representatives shall each appoint 3 members to the commission and

 

the department of military and veterans affairs shall appoint 1

 

member to the commission. The commission members shall serve at the

 

pleasure of the legislature and, if a vacancy occurs, the senate

 


majority leader shall appoint a replacement member of the

 

commission within 90 days after a vacancy has occurred.

 

     Sec. 3. The commission shall meet at least 1 time in a

 

calendar year. The commission shall determine whether any military-

 

related site in this state should be acquired, by purchase or other

 

means, so that the department can protect the site as a military or

 

veterans memorial site. In deciding whether property is available

 

for acquisition, the commission shall consider input from all of

 

the following:

 

     (a) The department of military and veterans affairs.

 

     (b) The department of history, arts, and libraries.

 

     (c) The Michigan historical museum.

 

     (d) The general public.

 

     Sec. 4. Within 180 days of considering input from the parties

 

enumerated in section 3, the commission shall determine whether to

 

acquire property for protection under this act and, if a majority

 

of commission members vote to acquire specific properties, shall

 

acquire property on behalf of this state for protection.

 

     Sec. 5. As used in this act, "military-related site" means

 

property where a military base, installation, or reserve unit

 

operation once stood or a site where a battle took place in our

 

nation's history.

 

     Enacting section 1.  This act does not take effect unless

 

Senate Bill No. 882                                              of

 

the 93rd Legislature is enacted into law.