AUTHORIZED EMERGENCY VEHICLE; MABAS H.B. 4301 & 4302:
SUMMARY OF BILL
REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE
House Bills 4301 and 4302 (as reported without amendment)
Sponsor: Representative Brian BeGole (H.B. 4301)
Representative Mike McFall (H.B. 4302)
House Committee: Transportation and Infrastructure
Senate Committee: Veterans and Emergency Services
CONTENT
House Bill 4301 would amend the Michigan Vehicle Code to do the following:
-- Allow a vehicle that was owned by the Michigan Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) and operated during an interlocal emergency pursuant to an interlocal agreement to be equipped with flashing, rotating, or oscillating lights.
-- Prescribe a civil fine of up to $100 for violating the Code's prohibition against unauthorized use of flashing, rotating, or oscillating lights.
House Bill 4302 would amend Chapter 3 (Operator's and Chauffeur's License) of the Michigan Vehicle Code to exempt a MABAS employee or member who operated an authorized emergency vehicle and met driver training standards published under the Firefighters Training Council Act from the Code's requirement to obtain specific vehicle group designations before operating a commercial motor vehicle.
The bills are tie-barred.
MCL 257.2 & 257.698 (H.B. 4301)
257.312e (H.B. 4302)
BRIEF RATIONALE
Michigan Task Force One is a highly-trained early search and rescue team based in Michigan that responds to many large-scale emergencies such as the Michigan State University Shooting in 2023 and the Northern Lower Peninsula Ice Storm in 2024. Many vehicles that service Michigan Task Force One are owned by MABAS and are not recognized as emergency service vehicles. Therefore, the vehicles cannot be equipped with flashing lights and cannot be operated without a commercial driver's license (CDL). Recognizing the Task Force's vehicles as emergency vehicles, allowing these vehicles to be equipped with flashing lights, and giving the operators of these vehicles the ability to drive without a CDL would help the Task Force to do its job more effectively.
Legislative Analyst: Alex Krabill
FISCAL IMPACT
House Bill 4301
The bill could have a positive fiscal impact on local units of government. The bill would impose new civil fines up to a maximum of $100. Revenue collected from civil fines is used to support
local libraries and county law libraries. The amount of revenue for local libraries is indeterminate and dependent on the actual number of violations.
House Bill 4302
The bill would have no fiscal impact on State or local government.
Date Completed: 12-4-25 Fiscal Analyst: Joe Carrasco, Jr.
SAS\Floors2526\hb4301 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. |