SB-0568, As Passed Senate, October 16, 2003                                 

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                              SUBSTITUTE FOR                                    

                                                                                

                           SENATE BILL NO. 568                                  

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                 A bill to amend 1994 PA 451, entitled                                             

                                                                                

    "Natural resources and environmental protection act,"                       

                                                                                

    (MCL 324.101 to 324.90106) by adding section 3115b.                         

                                                                                

                THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:                      

                                                                                

1       Sec. 3115b.  (1) The department may offer and pay an award                  

                                                                                

2   of up to $10,000.00 to a person who provides information that               

                                                                                

3   materially contributes to the assessment of a civil fine by a               

                                                                                

4   court in an action brought by the attorney general under this               

                                                                                

5   part, or to the arrest and conviction of a person under this                

                                                                                

6   part.                                                                       

                                                                                

7       (2) The following persons are not eligible for payment of an                

                                                                                

8   award under subsection (1):                                                 

                                                                                

9       (a) An officer or employee of the United States.                            

                                                                                

10      (b) An officer of the state of Michigan.                                    

                                                                                

11      (c) A full- or part-time employee of the department, the                    

                                                                                


                                                                                

1   department of attorney general, or the department of natural                

                                                                                

2   resources.                                                                  

                                                                                

3       (d) A person who furnishes information described in this                    

                                                                                

4   section in the performance of an official duty.                             

                                                                                

5       (e) A person wholly or partly responsible for the violation                 

                                                                                

6   resulting in the civil fine or conviction.                                  

                                                                                

7       (3) An award shall not be made under subsection (1) until                   

                                                                                

8   rules are promulgated by the department prescribing the criteria            

                                                                                

9   for making awards.                                                          

                                                                                

10      (4) In addition to any other sanction provided for by law,                  

                                                                                

11  the department may order a person who knowingly provides false              

                                                                                

12  information under subsection (1) to do either or both of the                

                                                                                

13  following:                                                                  

                                                                                

14      (a) Pay to the department some or all of the expenses                       

                                                                                

15  incurred by the department as a direct result of the false                  

                                                                                

16  information.                                                                

                                                                                

17      (b) Pay to the person against whom the false information was                

                                                                                

18  provided some or all of the expenses, including, but not limited            

                                                                                

19  to, reasonable attorney fees incurred by that person in                     

                                                                                

20  proceedings under this part as a direct result of the false                 

                                                                                

21  information.