Public Act 152 of 2003

      Comments on this legislation    Post new comment    Text and Analysis    Add to Watch List 
  Previous   Next 

• Introduced by Sen. Shirley Johnson (R) on June 4, 2003, to raise a number of license fees and taxes charged to citizens. Among these are increases of $3 in annual vehicle registration fees; an increase of $13 in the fee for an original driver’s license, from $12 to $25, and from $12 to $18 for a renewal; in increase of $15 for a chauffer’s license, from $20 to $35; an increase in the annual auto dealer license fee, from $10 to $75; and an increase in the annual salvage dealer license fee, from $100 to $160. A new $10 late fee for late vehicle registrations would also be imposed. In total, citizens would pay an additional $55 to $65 million to the state under the bill. The bill would authorize a new fund to use the increased revenue to replace part of the road tax money now diverted to fund the Department of Treasury and the Secretary of State. This is one of many bills authorizing fee increases totaling some $125.5 million which Gov. Jennifer Granholm proposed to close a gap between state spending and expected revenue in the Fiscal Year 2003-2004 budget.
  • Referred to the Senate Appropriations Committee on June 4, 2003.
  • Reported in the Senate on June 10, 2003, with the recommendation that the bill pass.
  • Substitute offered in the Senate on June 11, 2003, to replace the previous version of the bill with one which incorporates technical changes that do not affect the substance of the bill as previously described. The bill was amended to clarify that the new late fees on vehicle registrations do not apply to a person whose insurance company has allowed him or her to delete coverage not required for a vehicle that is not driven, but who still maintains some other insurance coverage on the vehicle. The substitute passed by voice vote in the Senate on June 11, 2003.
• Passed 36 to 2 in the Senate on June 12, 2003, to raise a number of license fees and taxes charged to citizens. Among these are increases of $3 in annual vehicle registration fees; an increase of $13 in the fee for an original driver’s license, from $12 to $25, and from $12 to $18 for a renewal; in increase of $15 for a chauffer’s license, from $20 to $35; an increase in the annual auto dealer license fee, from $10 to $75; and an increase in the annual salvage dealer license fee, from $100 to $160. A new $10 late fee for late vehicle registrations would also be imposed. In total, citizens would pay an additional $70 million to the state under the bill. The bill would use the increased revenue to replace part of the road tax money now diverted to fund the Department of Treasury and the Secretary of State. This is one of many bills authorizing tax and fee increases proposed to close a gap between state spending and expected revenue.
  Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"
• Received in the House on June 12, 2003.
  • Referred to the House Transportation Committee on June 12, 2003.
  • Reported in the House on June 26, 2003, with the recommendation that the substitute (H-2) be adopted and that the bill then pass.
  • Substitute offered in the House on July 15, 2003, to replace the previous version of the bill with one which was subsequently superceded by another substitute with substantive changes. See Shulman substitute. The substitute failed by voice vote in the House on July 15, 2003.
  • Substitute offered by Rep. Marc Shulman (R) on July 15, 2003, to replace the previous version of the bill with one which replaces annual registration taxes on trailers with a new permanent trailer license, places a portion of the new fees in a new "Traffic Law Enforcement and Safety Fund" (TLESF) which would be used to increase State Police traffic law enforcement, and incorporates other technical changes. The substitute passed by voice vote in the House on July 15, 2003.
  • Amendment offered by Rep. Marc Shulman (R) on July 15, 2003, to clarify a technical provision in the bill so the language of the amended law is internally consistent. The amendment passed by voice vote in the House on July 15, 2003.
  • Amendment offered by Rep. Scott Shackleton (R) on July 15, 2003, to clarify that if the Secretary of State reissues a new registration plate for all trailers, a person who has purchased a permanent plate to pay only the appoximately $5 "reissue" cost. The amendment passed by voice vote in the House on July 15, 2003.
  • Amendment offered by Rep. Sandy Caul (R) on July 16, 2003, to place a portion of the new fees in a new trooper recruit school fund, which would be used to pay for future state trooper recruit training so as to maintain the trooper force at a certain level. The amendment passed 94 to 8 in the House on July 16, 2003.
    Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"
• Passed 65 to 43 in the House on July 17, 2003, to raise a number of license fees and taxes charged to citizens. Among these are increases of $3 in annual vehicle registration fees; an increase of $13 in the fee for an original driver’s license, from $12 to $25, and from $12 to $18 for a renewal; in increase of $15 for a chauffer’s license, from $20 to $35; an increase in the annual auto dealer license fee, from $10 to $75; and an increase in the annual salvage dealer license fee, from $100 to $160. A new $10 late fee for late vehicle registrations would also be imposed. In total, citizens would pay an additional $55 to $65 million to the state under the bill. The bill would use the increased revenue to replace part of the road tax money now diverted to fund the Department of Treasury and the Secretary of State. This is one of many bills authorizing tax and fee increases proposed to close a gap between state spending and expected revenue. The bill would also replace annual registration taxes on trailers with a new permanent trailer license, and use a portion of the new revenue to increase State Police traffic law enforcement.
  Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"
• Received in the Senate on July 17, 2003.
• Passed 32 to 2 in the Senate on July 17, 2003, to concur with the House-passed version of the bill, which replaces annual registration taxes on trailers with a new permanent trailer license, and places a portion of the increased fee revenue in a new "Traffic Law Enforcement and Safety Fund" (TLESF) which would be used to increase State Police traffic law enforcement.
  Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"
• Signed by Gov. Jennifer Granholm on August 8, 2003.