HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION J

 

June 18, 2003, Introduced by Reps. Tabor and Palsrok and referred to the Committee on Conservation and Outdoor Recreation.

        

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                 A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the state                            

                                                                                

    constitution of 1963, by adding section 40 to article IX, to                

                                                                                

    provide for the establishment of the Michigan habitat trust                 

                                                                                

    fund.                                                                       

                                                                                

        Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the                  

                                                                                

    state of Michigan, That the following amendment to the state                

                                                                                

    constitution of 1963, to provide for the establishment of the               

                                                                                

    Michigan habitat trust fund, is proposed, agreed to, and                    

                                                                                

    submitted to the people of the state:                                       

                                                                                

1                               ARTICLE IX                                      

                                                                                

2       Sec. 40.  The Michigan habitat trust fund is established as                 

                                                                                

3   an endowment fund.  The fund shall consist of all of the                    

                                                                                

4   following:                                                                  

                                                                                

5       (1) All bonuses, rentals, delayed rentals, and royalties                    

                                                                                

6   collected or reserved by the state under provisions of leases for           

                                                                                


                                                                                

1   the extraction of nonrenewable resources and from timber sales              

                                                                                

2   from state owned lands acquired with money from state or federal            

                                                                                

3   game and fish protection funds or revenues accruing from lands              

                                                                                

4   purchased with such revenues.                                               

                                                                                

5       (2) All settlements and civil judgments received by the                     

                                                                                

6   state for natural resource damage claims.                                   

                                                                                

7       (3) Money or assets from any other source appropriated,                     

                                                                                

8   transferred, directed, or contributed to the fund.                          

                                                                                

9       (4) All money or other assets in the following funds on the                 

                                                                                

10  effective date of this section, which shall be transferred to the           

                                                                                

11  fund on that date:                                                          

                                                                                

12      (a) The game and fish protection trust fund created in                      

                                                                                

13  section 43702 of the natural resources and environmental                    

                                                                                

14  protection act, 1994 PA 451, MCL 324.43702.                                 

                                                                                

15      (b) The nongame fish and wildlife trust fund created in                     

                                                                                

16  section 43902 of the natural resources and environmental                    

                                                                                

17  protection act, 1994 PA 451, MCL 324.43902.                                 

                                                                                

18      (c) The game and fish lifetime license trust fund created in                

                                                                                

19  section 44104 of natural resources and environmental protection             

                                                                                

20  act, 1994 PA 451, MCL 324.44104.                                            

                                                                                

21      (d) The Michigan civilian conservation corps endowment fund                 

                                                                                

22  created in section 12a of the Michigan civilian conservation                

                                                                                

23  corps act, 1984 PA 22, MCL 409.312a.                                        

                                                                                

24      The money and other assets of the fund shall be invested as                 

                                                                                

25  provided by law.  Any increase in the assets of the fund during a           

                                                                                

26  state fiscal year, whether from interest and earnings accruing to           

                                                                                

27  the fund or other revenues received by the fund, except revenues            


                                                                                

1   transferred to the fund on the effective date of this section, to           

                                                                                

2   the extent the increase in assets exceeds any increase in the               

                                                                                

3   general price level for that state fiscal year, may be                      

                                                                                

4   appropriated by the legislature in subsequent state fiscal                  

                                                                                

5   years.                                                                      

                                                                                

6       Money from the fund may be used only for the following                      

                                                                                

7   purposes:                                                                   

                                                                                

8       (1) Not more than 50 percent for the acquisition of land and                

                                                                                

9   rights in land for the protection of fish or wildlife habitat.              

                                                                                

10      (2) Not less than 50 percent for activities or improvements                 

                                                                                

11  to enhance fish or wildlife habitat.                                        

                                                                                

12      (3) For the administration of the fund, which may include                   

                                                                                

13  payments in lieu of taxes on state owned land purchased through             

                                                                                

14  the fund.                                                                   

                                                                                

15      The legislature may provide by law for fund subaccounts to                  

                                                                                

16  be used for the designated purposes of the fund.                            

                                                                                

17      Money in the fund may be used for grants for the purposes of                

                                                                                

18  the fund to local units of government, public authorities, and              

                                                                                

19  nonprofit entities organized for a conservation purpose.  The               

                                                                                

20  legislature shall provide that a portion of the cost of a project           

                                                                                

21  funded by a grant be provided by the local unit of government,              

                                                                                

22  public authority, or nonprofit entity receiving the grant.                  

                                                                                

23      The Michigan natural resources trust fund board established                 

                                                                                

24  by law pursuant to section 35 of this article shall recommend the           

                                                                                

25  projects to be funded with money from the fund.  The Michigan               

                                                                                

26  natural resources trust fund board shall submit its                         

                                                                                

27  recommendations to the governor who shall submit the board's                


                                                                                

1   recommendations to the legislature in an appropriations bill.               

                                                                                

2                                                                                As used in this section, "general price level" means the                           

                                                                                

3   consumer price index for the United States as defined and                   

                                                                                

4   officially reported by the United States department of labor or             

                                                                                

5   its successor agency.                                                       

                                                                                

6       The legislature shall provide by law for the implementation                 

                                                                                

7   of this section.                                                            

                                                                                

8       Resolved further, That the foregoing amendment shall be                     

                                                                                

9   submitted to the people of the state at the next general election           

                                                                                

10  in the manner provided by law.