Michigan House Bill HB4673

Michigan 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 6/25/25
• Refer: 6/25/25
• Report Pass: 9/3/25

Caption

Recreation: state parks; recreation passport requirement; exempt Gold Star family members in vehicle code. Amends sec. 805 of 1949 PA 300 (MCL 257.805). TIE BAR WITH: HB 4672'25

Summary

HB4673 amends section 805 of the Michigan Vehicle Code to change how the state’s recreation passport fee is handled in vehicle registration transactions. The recreation passport is an optional fee that, when paid, provides unlimited entry to Michigan state parks, recreation areas, and DNR-operated boating access sites for the life of the vehicle registration. The bill preserves the existing fee structure for most vehicles, two-year registrations, and motorcycles, and continues to allow the Secretary of State to include the fee on registration applications and to treat mailed applications accompanied by the fee as an election to pay it. The bill also keeps in place the administrative framework for collecting and transferring the fee revenue to the Department of Natural Resources, annual CPI-based adjustments, legislative review of revenue levels, and the use of distinctive tabs or stickers to identify vehicles that have paid the fee. It maintains the current exemptions for dealer-submitted applications and certain exempt registrations. The bill is tie-barred to HB 4672, meaning it would not take effect unless that related bill also becomes law; the caption indicates the related package would exempt Gold Star family members from the recreation passport requirement.

Impact

If enacted, HB4673 would amend Michigan’s vehicle registration law to continue and refine the recreation passport fee program within the Secretary of State’s registration process. It would affect vehicle owners who choose to buy the passport, the Department of State’s registration forms and procedures, and the Department of Natural Resources’ receipt of fee revenue for parks and boating access sites. The bill does not create a new fee, but it preserves the statutory mechanism for collecting, adjusting, and tracking the fee and ties its operation to a companion bill.

Sentiment

The available vote history suggests broad support: the bill was reported from committee with recommendation without amendment on a 15-0 vote. No committee transcript was provided, so there is no recorded debate to indicate opposition or detailed concerns in the materials supplied. Overall, the bill appears to have been treated as a routine administrative measure with consensus support.

Contention

The main policy issue appears to be the recreation passport system itself and how it is administered through vehicle registration, including whether the fee should be optional, how it is displayed on registration materials, and how paid status is tracked. The bill is also part of a larger package tied to HB 4672, which the caption says would exempt Gold Star family members from the recreation passport requirement; that tie-bar suggests the two bills are intended to move together. Any contention would likely center on the scope of exemptions, fee collection, and the relationship between vehicle registration and park access, but no direct objections are documented in the provided materials.