SB-0392, As Passed Senate, December 1, 2016
SUBSTITUTE FOR
SENATE BILL NO. 392
A bill to amend 1982 PA 432, entitled
"Motor bus transportation act,"
by amending the title and sections 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 15, 16, 17, 27,
29, 32, 33, 34, 35, and 39 (MCL 474.103, 474.104, 474.105, 474.107,
474.109, 474.115, 474.116, 474.117, 474.127, 474.129, 474.132,
474.133, 474.134, 474.135, and 474.139), sections 3, 4, 5, 7, 17,
27, 29, 33, 34, 35, and 39 as amended and section 32 as added by
1989 PA 233, section 9 as amended by 2012 PA 570, and section 16 as
amended by 1996 PA 421, and by adding section 10; and to repeal
acts and parts of acts.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:
TITLE
An act to regulate persons who transport passengers by motor
bus; to prescribe powers and duties for the state transportation
department;
to impose certain fees; and to impose penalties; and to
repeal acts and parts of acts.
Sec. 3. As used in this act:
(a) "Applicant" means a person who applies for an authority
under this act.
(b) (a)
"Certificate of authority" "Authority" means a
certificate
of an authority issued under the terms of this act.
unless
the context indicates otherwise.Authority
includes an
original annual authority, a reinstatement authority, and a renewal
authority.
(c) "Authorized seasonal vehicle" means an authorized vehicle
that satisfies both of the following:
(i) The department has approved the vehicle to be used in
service for a contiguous period of time that does not exceed 6
months.
(ii) The vehicle satisfies the inspection and insurance
requirements of this act during the period the vehicle has been
approved for use.
(d) "Authorized vehicle" means a vehicle operated by a motor
carrier that complies with all requirements of this act.
(e) "Bus" means a motor vehicle with a seating capacity of 9
or more passengers, including the driver, that is used in the
transportation of passengers and their baggage for hire upon any
public highway of this state. Except as otherwise provided in
section 4(1)(j), bus includes a school bus.
(f) (b)
"Department" means the
state transportation
department.
(g) (c)
"For hire" means for
remuneration or reward of any
kind, paid or promised, either directly or indirectly.
(d)
"Lessor" means a person who leases a motor bus to any
other
person for the transportation of passengers for hire over the
public
highways of this state.
(e)
"Motor bus" means a self-propelled motor vehicle used in
the
transportation of passengers and their baggage for hire upon
any
public highway of this state with a maximum seating capacity of
10
persons or more, or 16 persons or more if the limousine
transportation
act is enacted into law, including the driver. Motor
bus
does not include a self-propelled motor vehicle having a
seating
capacity of 15 passengers or less that is used by or on
behalf
of an employer to transport its employees to and from their
place
of employment.
(h) (f)
"Motor carrier of passengers" "Motor carrier" means
a
person who, either directly or through any device or arrangement,
holds
himself or herself out to the public as willing to undertake
for
hire to transport passengers for hire by motor bus from place
to
place over the public highways of
this state. persons who may
choose
to employ him or her for that purpose or for the purpose of
transporting
package express, baggage of passengers, newspapers, or
United
States mail in the same vehicle used to transport
passengers.
(i) "Original annual authority" means the first authority
applied for and received by a motor carrier under this act.
(j) (g)
"Person" means an
individual, sole proprietorship,
partnership, association, corporation, or other legal entity, or
the lessee, trustee, or receiver of any of these entities; this
state; a city, village, township, or county of this state; the
federal government; or an employee, officer, or agent of any of
these units of government.
(k) (h)
"Public highway" means a
highway, road, street,
avenue, alley, or thoroughfare of any kind, or a bridge, tunnel, or
subway used by the public.
(l) "Reinstatement authority" means an authority issued to a
motor carrier whose original annual authority or original seasonal
authority was previously revoked under this act.
(m) "Renewal authority" means an authority for the
continuation of a prior original annual authority or an original
seasonal authority that remained in good standing, or the
continuation of a reinstatement authority.
(n) "Roster" means a list of buses to be operated for hire by
a motor carrier that is authorized or seeking authorization under
this act and that indicates all of the following information:
(i) The vehicle identification number, make, model, fleet
number, and year of each vehicle.
(ii) The beginning and ending dates of service for each
seasonal vehicle.
(o) "Safety inspector" means an individual designated by the
department to conduct safety inspections under this act.
(p) "Service" means the movement of passengers by bus.
(q) (i)
"The public" means that
the part or portion of the
general
public which that the motor carrier is ready, able,
willing, and equipped to serve.
(r) (j)
"Through any device or arrangement"
means any and all
methods, means, agreements, circumstances, operations, or
subterfuges under which a person undertakes for hire to conduct,
direct, control, or otherwise perform the transportation of
passengers
by motor bus service upon the public highways of this
state.
Sec.
4. (1) This act shall does
not apply to a motor carrier
of
passengers that is any of the
following:
(a) A county, city, township, or village as provided by law,
or
other authority incorporated under Act No. 55 of the Public Acts
of
1963, as amended, being sections 124.351 to 124.359 of the
Michigan
Compiled Laws. Each authority and governmental agency
incorporated
under Act No. 55 of the Public Acts of 1963 shall have
the
exclusive jurisdiction to determine its own contemplated
routes,
hours of service, estimated transit vehicle miles, costs of
public
transportation services, and projected capital improvements
or
projects within its service area.1963
PA 55, MCL 124.351 to
124.359.
(b) An authority incorporated under the metropolitan
transportation
authorities act of 1967, Act No. 204 of the Public
Acts
of 1967, as amended, being sections 124.401 to 124.426 of the
Michigan
Compiled Laws, 1967 PA 204,
MCL 124.401 to 124.426, or
that operates a transportation service pursuant to an interlocal
agreement
under the urban cooperation act of 1967, Act No. 7 of the
Public
Acts of the Extra Session of 1967, as amended, being
sections
124.501 to 124.512 of the Michigan Compiled Laws.1967 (Ex
Sess) PA 7, MCL 124.501 to 124.512.
(c)
Operating under a contract entered into pursuant to Act
No.
8 of the Public Acts of the Extra Session of 1967, being
sections
124.531 to 124.536 of the Michigan Compiled Laws, under
1967
(Ex Sess) PA 8, MCL 124.531 to 124.536, or
Act No. 35 of the
Public
Acts of 1951, being sections 124.1 to 124.13 of the Michigan
Compiled
Laws.1951 PA 35, MCL 124.1 to
124.13.
(d) An authority incorporated under the public transportation
authority
act, Act No. 196 of the Public Acts of 1986, being
sections
124.451 to 124.479 of the Michigan Compiled Laws, or a
1986 PA 196, MCL 124.451 to 124.479.
(e) A regional transit authority created under the regional
transit authority act, 2012 PA 387, MCL 124.541 to 124.558.
(f) A nonprofit corporation organized under the nonprofit
corporation
act, Act No. 162 of the Public Acts of 1982, being
sections
450.2101 to 450.3192 of the Michigan Compiled Laws, 1982
PA 162, MCL 450.2101 to 450.3192, and as defined by sections
501(c)(3), (4), (19), or (23) of the internal revenue code of 1986,
that
provides 1 or both of the
following transportation services: .
(i) Services that are restricted only to registered members of
the nonprofit corporation.
(ii) Services that are funded under 1951 PA 51, MCL 247.651 to
247.675, through programs administered by the department.
(g) (e)
An authority financing public
improvements to
transportation
systems under the revenue bond act of 1933, Act No.
94
of the Public Acts of 1933, being sections 141.101 to 141.140 of
the
Michigan Compiled Laws.1933
PA 94, MCL 141.101 to 141.140.
(h) A motor carrier that operates motor vehicles only for the
purpose of transporting passengers to and from funerals.
(i) A motor carrier that operates a motor vehicle that is
owned or leased by or on behalf of an employer to transport its
employees to and from their place of employment.
(j) A public or private school or a unit of government that
owns or operates a school bus, or a privately owned school bus that
is under contract with a school district, an independent school
district, or a private or charter school, when that bus is used
solely for the transportation of pupils to or from school, school-
related events, or other uses as provided under the pupil
transportation act, 1990 PA 187, MCL 257.1801 to 257.1877.
(k) A vehicle operated by a canoe or other watercraft,
bicycle, or horse livery that is used only to transport clients
between their primary business location and the launch or
disembarkment location.
(2)
A motor carrier of passengers that
is exempt under
subsection (1) shall operate under the requirements of this act
when
operating outside of the political subdivisions permitted by
the
authorizing statute or the contract required by the authorizing
statute.exemptions described in subsection (1).
Sec.
5. A motor carrier of passengers shall not operate a
motor
bus for the transportation of
persons for hire on a public
highway in this state except in accordance with this act. A motor
carrier
of passengers shall not operate upon a public highway
without
first having obtained from the department a certificate of
an authority. A motor carrier shall register its roster with the
department, and all vehicles on the roster shall comply with the
provisions of this act.
Sec.
7. (1) The department shall issue without a hearing a
certificate
of an authority to a motor carrier of passengers
authorizing that carrier to provide transportation services subject
to the jurisdiction of the department under this act, if the
department
finds pursuant to section 9(1) that the motor carrier is
fit, willing, and able to provide the transportation service
authorized
by the certificate of authority and to comply in
compliance
with this act. ,
and if the applicant presents evidence
of
the acquisition of personal injury protection and property
damage
liability insurance as required by section 9(2). The
department may attach terms or conditions to the exercise of the
privilege
granted by a certificate of an
authority terms or
conditions
as the department considers
appropriate.
(2) An application for an authority is not complete unless the
applicant has complied with all applicable provisions of this act
and with the application requirements of the department. If an
applicant fails to comply with the application requirements of the
department and fails to correct its noncompliance within 60 days
after the initial application date, the application shall be
canceled and any application fees paid by the applicant are
forfeited.
(3) The department shall not issue or renew an authority to a
motor carrier if the motor carrier owes outstanding fees to the
department.
(4) An authority covers a motor carrier and the authorized
vehicles listed on the roster of the motor carrier. A motor carrier
and at least 1 vehicle on its roster shall remain in good standing
during the time period covered by the authority or the authority is
automatically revoked. To remain in good standing as required by
this subsection, a motor carrier shall do all of the following:
(a) Submit an accurate roster to the department and notify the
department of any changes to the roster.
(b) Pay all fees by the due date.
(c) Maintain insurance for each authorized vehicle on the
roster.
(d) Ensure that each authorized vehicle on the roster complies
with the inspection requirements of this act.
(5) If the department denies an application for an authority,
the department shall notify the applicant of the denial in writing
and the reasons for the denial. An applicant whose application is
denied may, within 30 days after the date of the denial, correct
any deficiency in the application and reapply for an authority
without payment of an additional application fee.
Sec.
9. (1) In determining the fitness, willingness, and
ability
eligibility of an applicant for a certificate of an
authority to provide transportation service, the department shall
consider
all of the following: before issuing the original
certificate
of authority:
(a)
The applicant's safety record.Whether
the applicant has
paid the required fees under section 17.
(b)
The Whether the character and condition of each motor bus
and
whether on the applicant's
roster is such that it may be
operated safely upon the public highways based on an inspection
conducted
by the department under section 16.in accordance with
this act.
(c)
The applicant's financial ability to provide continuous
Whether the applicant has proof of insurance coverage as required
by
subsection (2) or (3) and to have adequate financial resources
in
order to pay for damage claims against the applicant.section 10.
(d) Whether the applicant has provided the department with
details of any fixed route service that the applicant will provide
in this state, if applicable.
(e) Whether the applicant has met all other requirements of
this act.
(2)
An applicant shall acquire the following liability
insurance
coverage for acts or omissions of the applicant as a
motor
carrier of passengers:
(a)
Bodily injury and property damage liability insurance with
a
minimum combined single limit of $5,000,000.00 for all persons
injured
or for property damage.
(b)
Personal protection insurance and property protection
insurance
as required by chapter 31 of the insurance code of 1956,
1956
PA 218, MCL 500.3101 to 500.3119. A motor common carrier of
passengers
shall maintain the insurance described in this
subsection
as a condition of maintaining a certificate of authority
issued
under this act.
(3)
The insurance requirements of subsection (2) are waived if
the
applicant qualifies for and obtains a certificate of self-
insurance
from the commissioner of the office of financial and
insurance
regulation under section 3101d of the insurance code of
1956,
1956 PA 218, MCL 500.3101d.
(4)
An applicant that does not satisfy subsection (1) and
either
subsection (2) or subsection (3) shall not be issued a
certificate
of authority to provide transportation service under
this
act.
(2) The department shall not issue an authority to an
applicant that does not meet the eligibility requirements described
in subsection (1).
Sec. 10. (1) An applicant shall acquire the following
liability insurance coverage for acts or omissions of the applicant
as a motor carrier:
(a) For buses with a seating capacity of between 9 and 15
passengers, including the driver, bodily injury and property damage
liability insurance with a minimum combined single limit of
$1,500,000.00 for all persons injured or for property damage.
(b) For buses with a seating of 16 or more passengers,
including the driver, bodily injury and property damage liability
insurance with a minimum combined single limit of $5,000,000.00 for
all persons injured or for property damage.
(c) Personal protection insurance and property protection
insurance as required by chapter 31 of the insurance code of 1956,
1956 PA 218, MCL 500.3101 to 500.3179.
(2) A motor carrier shall maintain the insurance coverage
described in subsection (1) as a condition of maintaining an
authority issued under this act. For each authorized seasonal
vehicle, a motor carrier shall maintain the insurance coverage
described in subsection (1) during the approved seasonal period.
(3) The insurance requirements of subsection (1) are waived if
the applicant qualifies for and obtains a certificate of self-
insurance from the commissioner of the office of financial and
insurance services under section 3101d of the insurance code of
1956, 1956 PA 218, MCL 500.3101d.
(4) Except as otherwise provided in this act, if a motor
carrier cancels the insurance coverage required under this section
for any reason or if the coverage level falls below the levels
provided in subsection (1), the authority issued to that motor
carrier is automatically revoked.
(5) A motor carrier shall grant notification rights to the
department for all insurance policies required under this act to
ensure that the department is notified of all activities related to
the policy, including cancellation and replacement.
Sec.
15. The department shall issue a certificate of authority
as
provided in this act to a motor common carrier of passengers who
holds
either a valid permit as a contract motor carrier of
passengers
or a valid certificate of authority as a common motor
carrier
of passengers under the motor carrier act, Act No. 254 of
the
Public Acts of 1933, as amended, being sections 475.1 to 479.49
of
the Michigan Compiled Laws, on the day immediately before the
effective
date of this act, without making the determination
required
by section 9(1) if the department determines that the
carrier
has met the insurance requirements of section 9(2).Each bus
on a motor carrier's roster shall display the motor carrier's legal
name or assumed name as listed on its application for authority or
official request for name change as submitted to the department and
primary telephone number on both sides of the bus in a color that
is in sharp contrast to the background color and in a size that is
visible from a distance of at least 50 feet. The display required
under this section shall meet the vehicle identification
requirements of 49 CFR parts 390 to 399.
Sec.
16. (1) Each To maintain authorized
status for a bus, a
motor
carrier of passengers who holds a certificate of authority
issued
under this act shall permit the department to inspect each
motor
bus once annually, or more frequently if necessary to
determine
the current character and condition of the motor
bus.shall ensure that the bus passes a valid
inspection as provided
in this section and that the condition of the bus is maintained
between inspections.
(2)
Each motor bus operated by the motor carrier of passengers
under
its certificate of authority shall pass the safety inspection
which
meets the department's specifications for safe operating
character
and condition for the renewal of certificate.
(2) Beginning on January 1, 2017, for an inspection of a bus
to be a valid inspection, all of the following shall be satisfied:
(a) An inspection has been scheduled at the department's
convenience.
(b) The inspector of the bus indicates on an inspection report
prepared by the department that the bus has passed the inspection
before the expiration of the previous inspection.
(c) If the inspection is of a seasonal bus, the inspection
occurred no earlier than 30 days before the beginning of the
approved seasonal period for that bus.
(3)
A motor bus that does not pass a required departmental
have a valid inspection under this section shall not be operated
over the public highways of this state.
(4) A motor carrier is subject to all of the following
penalties for each bus that does not have a valid inspection as
required by this section:
(a) A motor carrier shall be assessed a fee of $250.00 for
each inspection that is conducted between 1 and 30 days late, and a
fee of $500.00 for each inspection that is conducted 31 or more
days late. This fee shall be in addition to any fee assessed under
subdivision (b). The department may waive the fee provided for in
this subdivision if the late inspection was primarily caused by the
schedule of the safety inspector. A vehicle that fails an
inspection is subject to the late inspection fees described in this
subdivision.
(b) The motor carrier shall be assessed a $100.00 reinspection
fee for each inspection after an initial failed inspection until
the vehicle passes or is permanently removed from service.
(c) A motor carrier that is assessed a reinspection fee under
subdivision (b) shall pay the reinspection fee before the
department conducts the reinspection on the vehicle for which the
reinspection fee was assessed.
(5) (4)
Instead of an inspection by the
department under
subsection
(1), an applicant for a certificate of authority or a
renewal
of a certificate of authority (2),
a motor carrier may, no
later than the end of the month in which the inspection expires,
provide
evidence of a current year motor bus inspection by a state,
district,
or province, or local
municipality that has standards
comparable to the federal motor carrier safety periodic inspection
standards and that has been approved by the department. The
department
shall may issue a list of the states, districts, or
provinces, and local municipalities that have standards comparable
to
the federal standards promulgated under 49 C.F.R. CFR part
396.
(6) A motor carrier shall maintain a copy of a current valid
inspection report on board each bus at all times, and the report
shall be made available for review upon demand by an authorized
federal, state, or local official.
(7) If the department has reasonable cause to believe that a
bus is unsafe for operation or has not been inspected as required
by this act or rules promulgated under this act, a department
safety inspector may inspect the bus. If the bus is not in
compliance with this act, the department may require the motor
carrier to place the bus out of service until all violations have
been corrected or eliminated.
(8) Upon satisfactory completion of a valid inspection of a
bus as required by this act and payment of all required fees by the
motor carrier, the department shall issue a decal indicating the
expiration date of the inspection for that bus. A decal issued
under this subsection is property of this state. A motor carrier
shall not use a bus displaying an expired decal to provide for-hire
passenger service.
(9) A motor carrier shall not operate a bus over the public
highways of this state if that bus does not have a properly
displayed current decal issued by the department under subsection
(8).
(10) The department may require a motor carrier to return a
decal issued under subsection (8) to the department if the bus upon
which that decal was displayed is removed from the motor carrier's
roster by the department or the motor carrier. A motor carrier that
fails to return a decal within 30 days after a request by the
department shall pay a $50.00 fee.
(11) The department may waive the inspection and renewal
requirements of this act for a bus that is not being used in this
state for a motor carrier that is located outside of this state if
the motor carrier submits a roster that indicates which of its
vehicles will be used exclusively outside of this state for at
least 1 year. The roster must be submitted before the affected
vehicle ceases to comply with this act. The motor carrier may put
the bus back into service in this state after at least 1 year by
submitting a revised roster and complying with all other provisions
of this act.
(12) Until the department conducts an inspection as provided
in this act, or January 1, 2018, whichever is later, an inspection
that was conducted and passed in accordance with this act or the
limousine transportation act, 1990 PA 271, MCL 257.1901 to
257.1939, before January 1, 2017 shall be considered a valid
inspection.
Sec. 17. (1) An applicant for an original annual authority
shall pay to the department a filing fee of $300.00 and a fee of
$100.00 times the number of buses to be used by the applicant to
provide transportation for hire under this act. The applicant shall
submit its roster to the department at the time of payment.
(2)
(1) Each An authority issued under this act expires on
March 1 of each year. No later than the last day of February each
year,
a motor carrier of passengers who that holds
a certificate of
an authority issued under this act shall pay to the department an
annual
renewal fee equal to $25.00 $100.00
times the number of
motor
buses used exclusively by the
carrier to provide
transportation
of passengers for hire and that meet the annual
renewal
inspection requirements of section 16. An annual renewal
fee
of $500.00 shall be paid for any motor bus not meeting the
annual
renewal inspection requirement of section 16.subject to this
act. The motor carrier shall submit its roster to the department at
the time of payment. The department may require a carrier to submit
additional documentation as part of the annual renewal process to
ensure compliance with this act.
(3) (2)
A motor carrier of passengers
who that holds a
certificate
of an authority issued under this act to provide
transportation
for hire that wishes to have
additional buses
authorized under its authority between annual renewal periods shall
pay
to the department a fee of $25.00 per motor bus for each
additional
motor bus acquired during the year for the purpose of
the
current year inspection required by section 16.$100.00 times
the number of buses being added to its roster. The motor carrier
shall submit its updated roster to the department at the time of
payment. A motor carrier shall ensure that each bus added to a
roster under this subsection complies with all requirements of this
act.
(3)
All certificates granted by the department terminate on
the
last day of February of each year unless renewed on or before
that
date with payment of the fee prescribed by subsection (1). The
certificate
of any motor carrier of passengers who is delinquent in
payment
of fees required to be paid by this section is canceled and
revoked
on or after March 1 of the year for which renewal should
have
been made pursuant to the requirements of this section, and
the
motor carrier of passengers shall be prohibited from operating
any
of its vehicles upon or over the highways of this state. All
privileges
granted the motor carrier of passengers under the
expiring
certificate shall cease.
(4) The authority of a motor carrier that does not comply with
this section shall be automatically revoked on March 1, and the
motor carrier must apply for and be issued a new authority before
resuming service.
Sec.
27. (1) A motor carrier of passengers holding a
certificate
of an authority for regular route service between
points
within this state may apply shall
notify the department in
writing no less than 60 days before it plans to discontinue all or
a
portion of its service under this certificate of its authority.
by
filing written application with the department, payment of the
fees
described in section 25, and within Within 10 days after
filing
notifying the application publish department, the carrier
shall
post notice of the application once
a day for 2 different
days
in a newspaper of general circulation published in each county
to
which the service proposed to be discontinued extends. Within 20
days
after the last date of publication, any person opposing the
application
shall file written notice of protest with the
department.
If the application is not opposed, the motor carrier of
passengers
holding a certificate of authority may immediately
discontinue
the service. If the application is opposed, the
department,
within 20 days, may conduct a hearing on the
application,
with at least 10 days' notice to all interested
parties.discontinuation of service on its website and
in all
ticketing locations.
(2)
The department shall grant an application for authority to
discontinue
if the applicant demonstrates that intrastate revenue
per
mile derived from the route or routes proposed to be
discontinued
is less than the fully allocated cost per mile
including
depreciation. If the department's final determination on
the
application is not issued within 90 days after the last date of
publication,
the applicant may discontinue the service described in
the
application.
(3)
A motor carrier of passengers holding a certificate of
authority
for service within this state other than regular route
service
may apply to discontinue all or a portion of its service
under
this certificate of authority by filing written application
with
the department and payment of the fees as described in section
25.
Sec.
29. (1) A motor carrier of passengers authorized to
provide
transportation regular
route service under this act shall
not abandon or discontinue a service established under this act
without
the approval of notification
to the department ,
except, if
applicable,
as provided in section 27(2). as
described in section
27. If a motor carrier of passengers discontinues
service for more
than
10 days without the previous approval of notification to the
department, authorizing
the discontinuance, the certificate
of
authority
issued to that carrier shall be considered automatically
revoked
without any further action upon the part of by the
department.
(2)
If the insurance coverage required under this act is
canceled
for any reason, the certificate of authority issued to
that
carrier shall be considered revoked without any further action
by
the department.
Sec. 32. (1) A police officer or a peace officer may seize and
impound a vehicle that is operated by a motor carrier in violation
of this act or a rule promulgated by this act or is in such a
condition that the continued operation of the vehicle upon the
highway would constitute an immediate hazard to the public. Upon
impoundment, the vehicle is subject to a lien, subordinate to a
prior lien of record, in the amount of any fine, costs, and damages
that the defendant may be ordered to pay under this act. Upon
impoundment, a notice shall be sent to the owner and
any lienholder of record as kept by the secretary of state of the
vehicle that the vehicle is available for pickup by the owner
or lienholder of record as kept by the secretary of state. The
notice shall be accompanied by an invoice for any outstanding
charges imposed under this act. The notice shall inform the owner
and any lienholder of record as kept by the secretary of state that
the owner and lienholder of record as kept by the secretary of
state have 30 days from the date of the notice and upon payment of
applicable charges to pick up the impounded vehicle. A notice under
this subsection shall be sent by the agency authorizing the
impoundment of the vehicle to the applicable address on record with
the secretary of state by certified mail or by another commercially
available delivery service providing proof of delivery. The
defendant or a person with an ownership interest in the vehicle may
post with the court a cash or surety bond in the amount of $750.00.
If a bond is posted, the vehicle shall be released from
impoundment. The vehicle shall also be released, and the lien shall
be discharged, upon a judicial determination that the defendant is
not responsible for a violation of this act or upon payment of the
fine, costs, and damages. Additionally, if the defendant is
determined to be not responsible for the violation of this act, the
court shall assess against the governmental entity bringing the
action costs, payable to the defendant, for any damages that the
defendant has sustained due to the impoundment of the vehicle.
(2) If the court determines that the defendant is responsible
for the violation of this act and the defendant defaults in the
payment of any fine, costs, or damages, or any installment, as
ordered under this section, a bond posted under subsection (1)
shall be forfeited and applied to the fine, costs, damages, or
installment. The court shall certify any remaining unpaid amount to
the attorney for the governmental entity bringing the action. If
the owner or lienholder of record as kept by the secretary of state
does not pick up the vehicle within the 30-day period described in
subsection (1), the vehicle may be sold by foreclosure sale. The
foreclosure sale shall be conducted in the manner provided and
subject to the same rights as apply in the case of execution sales
under sections 6031, 6032, 6041, 6042, and 6044 to 6047 of the
revised judicature act of 1961, 1961 PA 236, MCL 600.6031,
600.6032, 600.6041, 600.6042, and 600.6044 to 600.6047.
(3) Not less than 21 days before a foreclosure sale under
subsection (2), the attorney for the governmental entity bringing
the action shall by certified mail send written notice of the time
and place of the foreclosure sale to the owner and any lienholder
of record as kept by the secretary of state. In addition, not less
than 10 days before the foreclosure sale, the attorney shall twice
publish notice of the time and place of the foreclosure sale in a
newspaper of general circulation in the county in which the vehicle
was seized. The attorney for the governmental entity bringing the
action shall provide the buyer and the secretary of state with a
copy of the proof of notice under this subsection to the owner and
lienholder of record as kept by the secretary of state, and a bill
of sale. The secretary of state shall use the documentation
provided to issue the appropriate certificate of title. The
proceeds of the foreclosure sale shall be distributed in the
following order of priority:
(a) To discharge any lien on the vehicle that was recorded
prior to the creation of the lien under subsection (1).
(b) To the clerk of the court for the payment of the fine,
costs, and damages, that the defendant was ordered to pay.
(c) To discharge any lien on the vehicle that was recorded
after the creation of the lien under subsection (1).
(d) To the owner of the vehicle.
(4) The department may use any and all available legal and
equitable remedies of a civil nature to enforce this act, an order
issued, or a rule promulgated pursuant to this act. The department
may
employ such experts, assistants, inspectors, and other
personnel
as may be necessary subject to civil service rules, to
enable it to administer and enforce this act. An employee of the
department shall not ask for or receive any fee from a person for
the taking of acknowledgments or any other service. State and local
police officers shall enforce this act and the rules promulgated
pursuant to this act. A police officer or a peace officer may
arrest, on sight or upon warrant, any person found violating or
having violated a provision of this act or a rule promulgated
pursuant
to this act. The attorney general of the this state and
the prosecuting attorneys of the counties of this state shall
prosecute
all violations of this act. When A violation of this act
is
violated, the offense may be
prosecuted in any jurisdiction in
or
through which a motor the bus implicated was present at the time
of the violation.
Sec.
33. A Notwithstanding any
other provision of this act, a
person subject to this act who operates a passenger service without
obtaining
a certificate of an authority required under this act or
without meeting the insurance requirements provided in this act
shall be subject to a civil fine of not more than $500.00. Each
violation constitutes a separate offense.
Sec.
34. A motor carrier, of passengers, or an officer or
agent
of a motor carrier, of passengers, who that requires
or
permits
a driver or operator to drive or operate a motor bus in
violation of this act, or a rule promulgated under this act, is
guilty
of a misdemeanor, punishable by responsible
for a state
civil infraction and may be ordered to pay a civil fine of not more
than
$500.00. , or by imprisonment for not more than 90 days, or
both.
Sec.
35. The department may alter, suspend, or revoke a
certificate
of an authority issued under this act if the department
determines
in a contested case hearing held pursuant to under
chapter
4 of the administrative procedures act of 1969, Act No. 306
of
the Public Acts of 1969, as amended, being sections 1969 PA 306,
MCL
24.271 to 24.287, of
the Michigan Compiled Laws, that a person
motor
carrier to whom a certificate of which an authority
has been
issued has willfully violated or refused to comply with this act.
If a motor carrier is found operating a bus for the transportation
of persons after its authority has been revoked under this section,
the department may compel compliance with this act by proceedings
in mandamus, injunction, or other appropriate civil remedy. The
proceedings described in this section may be brought in any county
in which the alleged violator may be sued or in Ingham County
circuit court.
Sec. 39. The department may promulgate rules to implement this
act
pursuant to under the administrative procedures act of 1969,
Act
No. 306 of the Public Acts of 1969, as amended, being sections
1969
PA 306, MCL 24.201 to 24.328. of
the Michigan Compiled Laws.
Enacting section 1. Sections 6, 11, 13, 21, 25, 31, and 41 of
the motor bus transportation act, 1982 PA 432, MCL 474.106,
474.111, 474.113, 474.121, 474.125, 474.131, and 474.141, are
repealed.
Enacting section 2. This amendatory act takes effect 90 days
after the date it is enacted into law.
Enacting section 3. This amendatory act does not take effect
unless all of the following bills of the 98th Legislature are
enacted into law:
(a) House Bill No. 4637.
(b) House Bill No. 4638.
(c) House Bill No. 4639.
(d) House Bill No. 4640.
(e) House Bill No. 4641.