LANSING – The Michigan Senate Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs Committee reported legislation unanimously Wednesday that would allow residents access to state parks through a $10 fee on their license plates, rather than the current window sticker. But that vote does not reflect expected support on the floor.

All committee members, save committee chair Sen. Patricia Birkholz (R-Saugatuck Twp.), said their support to move the bills out of committee was to keep the process moving and not necessarily indicative of their support of the bill’s contents (SB 388 and SB 389 ).

The bills have already seen some substantial changes from the original proposal by the State Park Citizens Advisory Committee, and the committee Wednesday changed the system from an opt-out to an opt-in fee.

But the program also would not, as reported, give all Michigan residents free access to state parks. Instead, the bill would allow the department to conduct spot checks and to ticket any vehicles where the owner had opted out of paying the fee but had still opted to visit a park.

There was still some lingering question among committee members whether the Recreation Passport Fee was constitutional given the requirements there that vehicle registration costs be used for transportation purposes. Supporters have argued the fee is optional and so eludes that provision, but opponents have continued to question that assertion.

Sen. Bruce Patterson (R-Canton) indicated the argument also could turn on the use of the fees, not just their voluntary collection.

Doug Novak with the Department of State said the bill also still does not provide his agency with enough money to cover the costs of administration, particularly given the likelihood of people wanting to add, or have refunded, the state park fee after renewing their registration. The department has estimated the process would cost about $2.5 million annually, but he said the bills provide only about $250,000 toward that effort.

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