WATER POLLUTER INFORMANT: AWARD - S.B. 568: COMMITTEE SUMMARY

Senate Bill 568 (as introduced 6-10-03)

Sponsor: Senator Bruce Patterson

Committee: Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs


Date Completed: 6-17-03


CONTENT


The bill would amend the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act to permit the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to pay an award of up to $10,000 to a person who provided information that materially contributed to the assessment of a civil fine as the result of an action brought by the Attorney General, or the arrest and conviction of a person, under Part 31 (Water Resources Protection) of the Act.


The following people would not be eligible for payment of the award:

 

--    An officer or employee of the United States.

--    An officer of the State.

--    A full- or part-time employee of the DEQ, the Department of Attorney General, or the Department of Natural Resources.

--    A person who furnished the information in the performance of an official duty.

--    A person wholly or partly responsible for the violation resulting in the civil fine or conviction.


An award could not be made until the DEQ promulgated rules prescribing the criteria for making awards.

 

Proposed MCL 324.3115b - Legislative Analyst: Claire Layman


FISCAL IMPACT


The bill could increase fine revenue collected by the State by an indeterminate amount. The payment of awards would partially offset the increased fine revenue received from violators.


 - Fiscal Analyst: Jessica RunnelsS0304\s568sa

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.