HOUSE BILL NO. 6511

December 15, 2020, Introduced by Rep. Filler and referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

A bill to amend 1949 PA 300, entitled

"Michigan vehicle code,"

by amending section 236 (MCL 257.236), as amended by 2000 PA 64.

the people of the state of michigan enact:

Sec. 236. (1) If ownership of a vehicle passes by operation of law, upon furnishing satisfactory proof of that ownership to the secretary of state, the person acquiring the vehicle may procure a title to the vehicle regardless of whether a certificate of title has ever been issued. Upon death of an owner of a registered vehicle, the license plate assigned to the vehicle, unless the vehicle is destroyed, is a valid registration until the end of the registration year or until the personal representative of the owner's estate transfers ownership of the vehicle.

(2) If Subject to subsection (3), if an owner of 1 or more vehicles , which vehicles do not that have a total value of not more than $60,000.00, $100,000.00 dies and the owner does not leave other property that requires the issuance of letters as provided in under section 3103 of the estates and protected individuals code, 1998 PA 386, MCL 700.3103, the owner's surviving spouse, or an heir of the owner in the order specified in section 2103 of the estates and protected individuals code, 1998 PA 386, MCL 700.2103, may apply for a title, after furnishing providing the secretary of state with proper proof of the death of the registered owner, attaching to the proof a certification setting forth the fact that the applicant is the surviving spouse or an heir. Upon proper petition, the secretary of state shall furnish provide the applicant with a certificate of title.

(3) Beginning January 1, 2022 and each January 1 thereafter, the $100,000.00 total value amount in subsection (2) must be multiplied by the cost-of-living adjustment factor. Beginning December 1, 2021 and each December 1 thereafter, the secretary of state shall determine the adjusted total value amount for the following year.

(4) As used in this section:

(a) "Cost-of-living adjustment factor" means a fraction in which the numerator is the United States Consumer Price Index for the prior calendar year and the denominator is the United States Consumer Price Index for the 2020 calendar year.

(b) "United States Consumer Price Index" means the annual average of the United States Consumer Price Index for all urban consumers as defined and reported by the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and as certified by the state treasurer.

Enacting section 1. This amendatory act takes effect 90 days after the date it is enacted into law.