Act No. 267

Public Acts of 2004

Approved by the Governor

July 22, 2004

Filed with the Secretary of State

July 23, 2004

EFFECTIVE DATE: July 23, 2004

STATE OF MICHIGAN

92ND LEGISLATURE

REGULAR SESSION OF 2004

Introduced by Reps. Bisbee, Richardville, Shackleton, Stahl, Palsrok, Voorhees, Amos, Taub, LaJoy, Meyer, Garfield, Nitz, Milosch, Pumford, Hummel, Koetje, Steil, Hune, Tabor, Shaffer, DeRossett, Ehardt, Gaffney, Newell, Caswell, Walker, Moolenaar, Acciavatti, Kooiman, Hoogendyk, Huizenga, Caul, Nofs and Sheen

ENROLLED HOUSE BILL No. 5879

AN ACT to amend 2000 PA 92, entitled "An act to codify the licensure and regulation of certain persons engaged in processing, manufacturing, production, packing, preparing, repacking, canning, preserving, freezing, fabricating, storing, selling, serving, or offering for sale food or drink for human consumption; to prescribe powers and duties of the department of agriculture; to provide for delegation of certain powers and duties to certain local units of government; to provide exemptions; to regulate the labeling, manufacture, distribution, and sale of food for protection of the consuming public and to prevent fraud and deception by prohibiting the misbranding, adulteration, manufacture, distribution, and sale of foods in violation of this act; to provide standards for food products and food establishments; to provide for enforcement of the act; to provide penalties and remedies for violation of the act; to provide for fees; to provide for promulgation of rules; and to repeal acts and parts of acts," (MCL 289.1101 to 289.8111) by adding section 4116.

The People of the State of Michigan enact:

Sec. 4116. (1) Beginning the effective date of the amendatory act that added this subsection and notwithstanding any other provision of this act, the department shall issue an initial license not later than 90 days after the applicant files a completed application and shall issue a renewal license not later than 120 days after the applicant files a completed application. Receipt of the application is considered the date the application is received by any agency or department of the state of Michigan. If the application is considered incomplete by the department, the department shall notify the applicant in writing, or make the information electronically available, within 30 days after receipt of the incomplete application, describing the deficiency and requesting the additional information. The period regarding license issuance and renewal is tolled upon notification by the department of a deficiency until the date the requested information is received by the department. The determination of the completeness of an application does not operate as an approval of the application for the license and does not confer eligibility upon an applicant determined otherwise ineligible for issuance of a license.

(2) If the department fails to issue or deny a license within the time required by this section, the department shall return the license fee and shall reduce the license fee for the applicant's next renewal application, if any, by 15%. The failure to issue a license within the time required under this section does not allow the department to otherwise delay the processing of the application, and that application, upon completion, shall be placed in sequence with other completed applications received at that same time. The department shall not discriminate against an applicant in the processing of the application based upon the fact that the license fee was refunded or discounted under this subsection.

(3) Beginning October 1, 2005, the director of the department shall submit a report by December 1 of each year to the standing committees and appropriations subcommittees of the senate and house of representatives concerned with agricultural and food issues. The director shall include all of the following information in the report concerning the preceding fiscal year:

(a) The number of initial and renewal applications the department received and completed within the appropriate time period described in subsection (1).

(b) The number of applications denied.

(c) The number of applicants not issued a license within the appropriate time period and the amount of money returned to licensees and registrants under subsection (2).

(4) As used in this section, "completed application" means an application complete on its face and submitted with any applicable licensing fees as well as any other information, records, approval, security, or similar item required by law or rule from a local unit of government, a federal agency, or a private entity but not from another department or agency of the state of Michigan. In the case of an initial application, completed application includes the completion of construction or renovation of any facility and the passing of a satisfactory inspection.

This act is ordered to take immediate effect.

Clerk of the House of Representatives

Secretary of the Senate

Approved

Governor