MEMORIAL HIGHWAY REQUIREMENTS        S.B. 708 & 709 (S-2):

        SUMMARY OF BILL

        REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE

 

 

 

 

 

 

Senate Bill 708 (as reported without amendment)

Senate Bill 709 (Substitute S-2 as reported) 

Sponsor: Senator Veronica Klinefelt (S.B. 708)

              Senator Erika Geiss (S.B. 709)

Committee: Transportation and Infrastructure

 

 

CONTENT

 

Senate Bill 708 would amend the Michigan Memorial Highway Act to do the following:

 

--       Limit the number of pieces of infrastructure that could receive a memorial designation to 10 per calendar year.

--       Require a piece of infrastructure that received a memorial designation under the Act to retain that designation for at least 10 years.

 

Senate Bill 709 (S-2) would amend the Michigan Memorial Highway Act to establish requirements that the subject of a proposed memorial designation would have to meet to qualify for the memorial designation.

 

The bills are tie-barred.

 

Proposed MCL 250.1001a (S.B. 708)

Proposed MCL 250.1001b (S.B. 709)

 

BRIEF RATIONALE

 

To honor an individual or group, members of the Legislature may introduce a memorial highway bill, which generally seeks to name a portion of a highway, freeway, bridge, or other piece of infrastructure in honor of that individual or group. Since the 2001-2002 Legislative Session, the State has enacted an average of 13 memorial highway bills per session. During the 2017-2018 Legislative Session alone, the State enacted 31 memorial highway bills. Currently, the Legislature faces no restrictions on the subject, location, or number of memorial designations, which some believe minimizes the honor’s impact. Accordingly, it has been suggested that the State establish parameters for memorial designations.

 

PREVIOUS LEGISLATION

(This section does not provide a comprehensive account of previous legislative efforts on this subject matter.)

 

Senate Bill 709 is similar to Senate Bill 964 from the 2021-2022 Legislative Session.

 

        Legislative Analyst: Abby Schneider

 

FISCAL IMPACT

 

The bills would have no fiscal impact on the State or local government.

 

Date Completed: 12-4-25        Fiscal Analyst: Bobby Canell

floor\sb708                Bill Analysis @ www.senate.michigan.gov/sfa

This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.