Act No. 313

Public Acts of 2005

Approved by the Governor

December 22, 2005

Filed with the Secretary of State

December 27, 2005

EFFECTIVE DATE: December 27, 2005

STATE OF MICHIGAN

93RD LEGISLATURE

REGULAR SESSION OF 2005

Introduced by Senators Birkholz, Brater, Jacobs, Hardiman and Allen

ENROLLED SENATE BILL No. 778

AN ACT to amend 1994 PA 451, entitled "An act to protect the environment and natural resources of the state; to codify, revise, consolidate, and classify laws relating to the environment and natural resources of the state; to regulate the discharge of certain substances into the environment; to regulate the use of certain lands, waters, and other natural resources of the state; to prescribe the powers and duties of certain state and local agencies and officials; to provide for certain charges, fees, assessments, and donations; to provide certain appropriations; to prescribe penalties and provide remedies; and to repeal acts and parts of acts," by amending section 2521 (MCL 324.2521), as added by 1999 PA 195.

The People of the State of Michigan enact:

Sec. 2521. (1) The department of environmental quality, in conjunction with the department of natural resources, shall biennially prepare a report that assesses the status of and trends related to the overall state of the natural environment in Michigan. The report shall be based upon environmental indicators identified by the departments of environmental quality and natural resources and upon data obtained through sound scientific methodologies and processes. The report shall be submitted to the governor, to the standing committees of the legislature with jurisdiction over issues primarily related to natural resources and the environment, and to the senate and house appropriations subcommittees on environmental quality and natural resources. The report shall be submitted not later than October 1, 2008 and every third year thereafter. The reports shall also be made available to the public electronically and, upon request, in paper format.

(2) The departments of environmental quality and natural resources shall monitor efforts undergoing in other states and nationally to establish uniformity among environmental indicators that might be included within the report.

(3) All state agencies shall cooperate with the departments of environmental quality and natural resources in carrying out their responsibilities under this section.

(4) As used in this section, "environmental indicator" means a measure of the state of the natural environment that can be derived from empirical data. The department shall use the most recent data available. If relevant data is not available, the department shall include in the report recommendations for gathering data in the future.

This act is ordered to take immediate effect.

Secretary of the Senate

Clerk of the House of Representatives

Approved

Governor