HOUSE BILL No. 4382

 

 

March 21, 2017, Introduced by Reps. Singh, Theis, Wittenberg, Lucido, Faris and Gay-Dagnogo and referred to the Committee on Law and Justice.

 

     A bill to amend 1937 PA 10, entitled

 

"An act to define the use of travel aids by blind persons; to

provide protection against accidents to such persons; to require

instruction and examination in certain circumstances; and to

provide penalties for violation hereof,"

 

by amending sections 1a and 3 (MCL 752.51a and 752.53), section 1a

 

as amended by 2002 PA 401 and section 3 as amended by 1986 PA 62.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 1a. As used in this act:

 

     (a) "Blind" means a person who has a visual acuity of 20/200

 

or less in the better eye with correction, or has limitation of his

 

or her field of vision such that the widest diameter of the visual

 

field subtends an angular distance not greater than 20 degrees.

 

     (b) "Cane" means an aid used by a blind pedestrian for travel

 

and identification purposes that is predominantly white or metallic

 


in color with or without a red tip.

 

     (c) "Crosswalk" means that term as defined in section 10 of

 

the Michigan vehicle code, 1949 PA 300, MCL 257.10.

 

     (d) "Dog guide" means a dog, in harness, that has been

 

formally trained and that is used by a blind person as a travel

 

aid.

 

     (e) "Walker" means an aid used by a blind pedestrian for

 

travel and identification purposes that is white in color or has

 

white legs with or without a red tip.

 

     Sec. 3. (1) A person who violates section 2(1) is guilty of a

 

misdemeanor , punishable by imprisonment for not more than 90 days

 

, or by a fine of not more less than $100.00 and not more than

 

$500.00, or both.

 

     (2) A person who violates section 2(1) causing injury to a

 

blind person, or his or her dog guide, is guilty of a misdemeanor

 

punishable by imprisonment for not more than 1 year or a fine of

 

not more than $1,000.00, or both.

 

     (3) A person who violates section 2(1) causing the death of a

 

blind person, or his or her dog guide, is guilty of a felony

 

punishable by imprisonment for not more than 15 years or a fine of

 

not more than $7,500.00, or both.

 

     Enacting section 1. This amendatory act takes effect 90 days

 

after the date it is enacted into law.