HOUSE BILL No. 4510

 

March 17, 2005, Introduced by Rep. Acciavatti and referred to the Committee on Government Operations.

 

     A bill to amend 1963 PA 213, entitled

 

"An act to provide a procedure for bonding contractors for public

buildings and public works of governmental units; and to repeal

certain acts and parts of acts,"

 

by amending the title and sections 1, 6, and 7 (MCL 129.201,

 

129.206, and 129.207), section 1 as amended by 1982 PA 11.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

TITLE

 

     An act to provide a procedure for bonding contractors for

 

public buildings and public works of governmental units; to provide

 

for certain contract remedies; and to repeal  certain  acts and

 

parts of acts.

 

     Sec. 1. (1) Before any contract  ,  exceeding $50,000.00 for

 

the construction, alteration, or repair of any public building or

 


public work or improvement of  the state or a county, city,

 

village, township, school district, public educational institution,

 

other political subdivision, public authority, or public agency

 

hereinafter referred to as the "governmental unit",  a governmental

 

unit is awarded, the  proposed contractor, hereinafter referred to

 

as the  "principal contractor",  principal contractor shall furnish

 

at his or her own cost to the governmental unit a performance bond

 

and a payment bond  which  that shall become binding upon the award

 

of the contract to the principal contractor.

 

     (2) However, if the principal contractor is a common carrier

 

as defined in section 3 of  Act No. 300 of the Public Acts of 1909,

 

as amended, being section 462.3 of the Michigan Compiled Laws  1909

 

PA 300, MCL 462.3, or the designated operator of a state subsidized

 

railroad, the principal contractor may provide an irrevocable

 

letter of credit from a state or national bank or a state or

 

federally chartered savings and loan association instead of the

 

bonds required by subsection (1). Neither the invitation for bids,

 

nor any person acting, or purporting to act, on behalf of the

 

governmental unit shall require that the bonds be furnished by a

 

particular bank or surety company, or through a particular agent or

 

broker, or through a bank, company, agent, or broker in any

 

particular locality.

 

     Sec. 6.  A "claimant"  As used in this act:

 

     (a) "Claimant" means a person having  that furnished labor,

 

material, or both, used or reasonably required for use in the

 

performance of the  a contract.

 

     (b) "Contract" means an agreement for the providing of

 


improvements to real property and includes an addition to, deletion

 

from, or amendment to the agreement.

 

     (c) "Contractor" means a person who, under a contract with the

 

owner or lessee of real property, provides an improvement to real

 

property.

 

     (d) "Governmental unit" means the state or a county, village,

 

township, school district, public educational institution, other

 

political subdivision, public authority, or public agency.

 

     (e) "Improvement" means the result of labor or material

 

provided by a contractor, subcontractor, supplier, or laborer

 

including, but not limited to, surveying, engineering and

 

architectural planning, construction management, clearing,

 

demolishing, excavating, filling, building, erecting, constructing,

 

altering, repairing, ornamenting, landscaping, paving, leasing

 

equipment, or installing or affixing a fixture or material, under a

 

contract.

 

     (f) "Labor and material" includes that part of water, gas,

 

power, light, heat, oil, gasoline, telephone service or rental of

 

equipment directly applicable to  the a contract.

 

     (g) "Owner" means a person holding a fee interest in real

 

property or an equitable interest arising out of a land contract.

 

     (h) "Principal contractor" means the contractor that contracts

 

with an owner or lessee to provide, directly or indirectly through

 

contracts with subcontractors, suppliers, or laborers,

 

substantially all of the improvements to real property under a

 

contract.

 

     (i) "Residence" means a detached 1-family or 2-family

 


residence building not exceeding 5,000 square feet in calculated

 

floor area.

 

     (j) "Subcontractor" means a person that has a direct contract

 

with a contractor or another subcontractor to perform a portion of

 

the improvements under a contract.

 

     (k) "Supplier" means a person who, pursuant to a contractor or

 

subcontractor, leases, rents, or in any other manner provides

 

material or equipment that is used in the improvement of real

 

property under a contract.

 

     Sec. 7. (1) A claimant who has furnished labor or material in

 

the prosecution of the work provided for in  such  a contract in

 

respect of which payment bond is furnished under  the provisions of  

 

section 3, and who has not been paid in full  therefor  for that

 

claim before the expiration of a period of 90 days after the day on

 

which the last of the labor was done or performed  by him  or

 

material was furnished or supplied  by him  for which claim is

 

made, may sue on the payment bond for the amount, or the balance

 

thereof, unpaid at the time of institution of the civil action,

 

prosecute  such  the action to final judgment,  for the sum justly

 

due him  and  have execution thereon  execute on the judgment. A

 

claimant not having a direct contractual relationship with the

 

principal contractor  shall  does not have a right of action upon

 

the payment bond unless both of the following have occurred:

 

     (a)  he  The claimant has, within 30 days after furnishing the

 

first of such material or performing the first of such labor,

 

served on the principal contractor a written notice  , which shall

 

inform  informing the principal contractor of the nature of the

 


materials being furnished or to be furnished, or labor being

 

performed or to be performed, and identifying the party contracting

 

for  such  that labor or materials and the site for the performance

 

of  such  that labor or the delivery of  such  those materials.  ,

 

and

 

     (b)  he  The claimant has given written notice to the

 

principal contractor and the governmental unit involved within 90

 

days  from  after the date on which the claimant performed the last

 

of the labor or furnished or supplied the last of the material for

 

which the claim is made, stating with substantial accuracy the

 

amount claimed and the name of the party to whom the material was

 

furnished or supplied or for whom the labor was done or performed.

 

     (2) Each notice under subsection (1) shall be served by

 

mailing  the same  it by certified mail, postage prepaid, in an

 

envelope addressed to the principal contractor ,  and the

 

governmental unit involved, at any place at which  said  the

 

parties maintain a business or residence.

 

     (3) The principal contractor  shall  is not  be  required to

 

make payment to a subcontractor of sums due from the subcontractor

 

to parties performing labor or furnishing materials or supplies,

 

except upon the receipt of the written orders of such  those

 

parties to pay to the subcontractor the sums due such  those

 

parties.

 

     (4) Subsections (5), (6), and (7) apply only to a contract

 

that conforms with all of the following:

 

     (a) Is in the amount of $10,000.00 or more.

 

     (b) Is written.

 


     (c) Does not involve the building, alteration, or improvement

 

of a residence.

 

     (d) Contains a specific payment provision.

 

     (5) Except as exempted from this section, an owner, a

 

contractor, or a principal contractor shall pay a supplier,

 

subcontractor, or other contractor on or before the date specified

 

in the contract.

 

     (6) Failure of an owner, a contractor, or a principal

 

contractor to pay in compliance with this section is considered a

 

material breach and allows the supplier, subcontractor, or other

 

contractor to suspend performance of the contract or act as

 

otherwise provided by law.

 

     (7) This section does not require any contract to contain any

 

of the provisions of subsections (5) and (6).

 

     Enacting section 1.  This amendatory act does not take effect

 

unless Senate Bill No.____ or House Bill No. 4509(request no.

 

00199'05 a) of the 93rd Legislature is enacted into law.