Highways: bridges; Mackinac Bridge; designate as a key facility. Amends sec. 552c of 1931 PA 328 (MCL 750.552c).
HB4470 amends Michigan’s criminal trespass law for “key facilities” to add the portions of the Mackinac Bridge that are not open to or intended for public use. Under the bill, a person who intentionally and without permission enters or remains in a properly enclosed and posted key facility commits a felony. The bill keeps the existing framework that requires the facility to be enclosed by a physical barrier and posted with conspicuous warning signs, and it preserves the exception for lawful assembly and peaceful petitioning, including labor disputes.
The bill also clarifies and expands the list of facilities that can qualify as key facilities, including chemical plants, refineries, electric and natural gas utility facilities, water treatment and intake structures, fuel terminals, transportation facilities, pulp and paper mills, pharmaceutical plants, hazardous waste sites, telecommunications facilities, and similar high-risk or regulated sites. It further states that it is not a defense that a barrier is open during normal business hours if the facility is otherwise enclosed and posted. The penalty remains up to four years’ imprisonment, a fine of up to $2,500, or both.
HB4470 would amend section 552c of the Michigan Penal Code, MCL 750.552c, by expressly treating the nonpublic portions of the Mackinac Bridge as a protected key facility and by reinforcing the trespass prohibition for enclosed, posted critical infrastructure sites. The practical effect is to broaden criminal liability for unauthorized entry onto certain infrastructure and industrial properties, while leaving intact the statutory protections for peaceful protest and labor-related assembly. The bill primarily affects individuals entering restricted areas and the owners/operators of covered facilities, especially the Mackinac Bridge and other critical infrastructure operators responsible for posting and maintaining barriers and signage.
The available voting history suggests strong support for the bill. It was reported from committee without amendment on a 15-0 vote and later passed the House on third reading by a wide margin, 92-8, with immediate effect. No committee transcript is available, but the near-unanimous committee vote and large floor majority indicate broad agreement that the bill is a public-safety and infrastructure-protection measure.
The main point of contention is the balance between protecting critical infrastructure and preserving access for lawful protest, assembly, and labor activity. The bill explicitly preserves peaceful petitioning and labor disputes, which appears designed to address civil-liberties concerns. Another possible issue is the breadth of the “key facility” definition, which covers a wide range of industrial, utility, transportation, and telecommunications sites, as well as the Mackinac Bridge’s nonpublic portions. Supporters likely view the measure as a targeted security enhancement, while critics may worry about overcriminalization or the potential use of trespass law against activists.