HOUSE BILL No. 5046

 

August 13, 2003, Introduced by Reps. Hood, Byrum, Hunter, Condino, Accavitti, Cheeks, Dennis, Woodward, Gieleghem, Smith and Daniels and referred to the Committee on Insurance.

        

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                 A bill to amend 1976 PA 331, entitled                                             

                                                                                

    "Michigan consumer protection act,"                                         

                                                                                

    by amending section 4 (MCL 445.904), as amended by 2000 PA 432.             

                                                                                

                THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:                      

                                                                                

1       Sec. 4.  (1) This act  does not apply to either  applies to                 

                                                                                

2   any unfair, unconscionable, or deceptive method, act, or practice           

                                                                                

3   and creates a cause of action against a company who engages in              

                                                                                

4   that method, act, or practice, except for any of the following:             

                                                                                

5       (a) A  transaction or conduct specifically authorized under                 

                                                                                

6   laws administered by a regulatory board or officer acting under             

                                                                                

7   statutory authority  method, act, or practice that is expressly             

                                                                                

8   permitted by a statute, rule, or regulation of this state or the            

                                                                                

9   United States.                                                              

                                                                                

10      (b) An act done by  the  a publisher, owner, agent, or                      

                                                                                

11  employee of a newspaper, periodical, directory, radio or                    

                                                                                


                                                                                

1   television station, or other communications medium in the                   

                                                                                

2   publication or dissemination of an advertisement unless the                 

                                                                                

3   publisher, owner, agent, or employee knows or, under the                    

                                                                                

4   circumstances, reasonably should know of the false, misleading,             

                                                                                

5   or deceptive character of the advertisement or has a direct                 

                                                                                

6   financial interest in the sale or distribution of the advertised            

                                                                                

7   goods, property, or service.                                                

                                                                                

8       (c)  (2)  Except for the purposes of an action filed by a                   

                                                                                

9   person under section 11,  this act does not apply to or create a            

                                                                                

10  cause of action for  an unfair, unconscionable, or deceptive                

                                                                                

11  method, act, or practice that is made unlawful by any of the                

                                                                                

12  following:                                                                  

                                                                                

13                                                                               (i)  (a)  The banking code of 1999, 1999 PA 276,                                     

                                                                                

14  MCL 487.11101 to 487.15105.                                                 

                                                                                

15      (ii)  (b)  1939 PA 3, MCL 460.1 to 460.10cc.                                 

                                                                                

16      (iii)  (c)  The motor carrier act, 1933 PA 254, MCL 475.1 to                 

                                                                                

17  479.43.                                                                     

                                                                                

18      (iv)  (d)  The savings bank act, 1996 PA 354, MCL 487.3101 to                

                                                                                

19  487.3804.                                                                   

                                                                                

20      (v)  (e)  1925 PA 285, MCL 490.1 to 490.31.                                 

                                                                                

21      (3) This act does not apply to or create a cause of action                  

                                                                                

22  for an unfair, unconscionable, or deceptive method, act, or                 

                                                                                

23  practice that is made unlawful by chapter 20 of the insurance               

                                                                                

24  code of 1956, 1956 PA 218, MCL 500.2001 to 500.2093.                        

                                                                                

25      (4) The burden of proving an exemption from this act is upon                

                                                                                

26  the person claiming the exemption.                                          

                                                                                

27      (2) A person who claims this act does not apply to a method,                


                                                                                

1   act, or practice because of an exception to subsection (1) or any           

                                                                                

2   other exemption from this act bears the burden of proving that              

                                                                                

3   exception or exemption.                                                     

                                                                                

4       (3) As used in this section, "company" means a person engaged               

                                                                                

5   in trade or commerce, including, but not limited to, a person               

                                                                                

6   whose profession, occupation, conduct, or transactions are                  

                                                                                

7   regulated by a statute, rule, or regulation of this state or the            

                                                                                

8   United States.