HB 4694: Local government: authorities; revisions to the recreational authorities act; provide for. Amends secs. 5, 7, 11 & 21 of 2000 PA 321 (MCL 123.1135 et seq.) & adds secs. 5a, 9a & 10. TIE BAR WITH: HB 4695'25, HB 4798'25 - Michigan

Substitute (S-1) - 5 → House Concurred Bill · 3 edits

MINOR

This diff reflects the House concurring with the Senate substitute for HB 4694, which amends the Recreational Authorities Act. The changes are almost entirely formatting-related: the bill was reflowed from Senate substitute format into House concurred bill format, resulting in different line breaks and page structure. No substantive policy changes were made.

TECHNICAL

The bill header changed from 'SENATE SUBSTITUTE FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 4694' to 'House BILL NO. 4694' with 'Senate substitute for' as a separate line, reflecting the House's concurrence with the Senate version.

In Section 5(1), the word 'Two' was replaced with the numeral '2' in the phrase about how many municipalities or districts may establish a recreational authority.

The full text of Sections 5a, 7, 9a, 10, 11, and 21 now appears in the House concurred version. These sections were present in the Senate substitute but the diff shows them as new lines due to reformatting of line breaks and page layout rather than actual content additions.

Substitute (H-1) - 2 → Substitute (S-1) - 7 · 4 edits

MODERATE

The Senate substitute modified HB 4694 to restrict recreational authority establishment and purposes based on county population. It now requires at least 2 municipalities or districts to form an authority (unless in a county with fewer than 4,000 residents), and limits the public forest and natural resources area purpose to those same small counties. The bill also reorganized some provisions into new sections (5a, 9a) and simplified amendment voting rules.

ELIGIBILITY

A recreational authority now generally requires 2 or more municipalities or districts to establish it. A single municipality or district may form one only if located in a county with a population of less than 4,000.

SCOPE

The purpose of acquiring, constructing, operating, maintaining, or improving a public forest and natural resources area is now limited to authorities whose territory is located only in a county with a population of less than 4,000.

REQUIREMENT

Removed the provision that specified voting requirements for amending articles (previously stated amendments follow whatever voting requirement the articles specify, or default to the same requirement as adoption).

TECHNICAL

Reorganized section 5(7) into a new standalone section 5a, and added references to new sections 9a in the bill's summary. This is primarily structural reorganization.

As Passed by the Senate → Substitute (H-1) · 6 edits

MODERATE

The substitute bill removes all county population thresholds that previously limited who could form a recreational authority and what purposes it could serve. A single municipality can now form an authority regardless of county size, and public forest and natural resources areas are no longer restricted to counties under 4,000 people. The separate sections 5a and 9a are eliminated, with their content folded into existing sections or removed entirely.

ELIGIBILITY

A single municipality or district can now establish a recreational authority on its own. Previously, at least two were required unless the county had a population under 4,000.

SCOPE

Public forest and natural resources areas are no longer limited to authorities in counties with a population of less than 4,000. Any recreational authority can now include this as a purpose.

Section 5a (optional provisions for articles that only applied to small counties) is eliminated. Its content is folded into a new subsection 5(7) without the population restriction.

Section 9a, which listed specific powers available to authorities in counties under 4,000 people (property acquisition, hiring employees, collecting fees, selling property, commercial forestry, carbon credits, etc.), is removed entirely. The bill now amends section 9 instead, suggesting these powers are being restructured.

REQUIREMENT

The enacting clause that required companion bills (Senate Bill No. ____ or HB 4798, and Senate Bill No. ____ or HB 4695) to also be enacted for this bill to take effect is removed.

TECHNICAL

Section 5(3) now includes the amendment voting requirement language that was previously in section 5a(2), consolidating the rules for amending articles in one place.

As Passed by the House → As Passed by the Senate · 5 edits · Apr 30, 2026

MODERATE

The Senate version significantly narrows the bill's scope by limiting most new powers and provisions to recreational authorities located only in counties with a population under 4,000. It also adds a dissolution protection requiring authorities to repay all debts before dissolving if municipalities refuse to assume them. These changes shift the bill from a broad expansion of recreational authority powers statewide to one primarily targeting small rural counties.

ELIGIBILITY

A single municipality or district in a county with population under 4,000 can now establish a recreational authority on its own; elsewhere, at least 2 are still required.

SCOPE

The power to designate a public forest and natural resources area is now limited to authorities whose territory is located only in a county with population under 4,000.

New Section 5a (covering what articles of incorporation may include) applies only if the authority's territory is located only in a county with population under 4,000.

Section 9 (renamed 9a), which lists all powers an authority may exercise (acquiring property, hiring staff, collecting fees, entering contracts, managing natural resources, etc.), now applies only to authorities located entirely in a county with population under 4,000.

REQUIREMENT

If participating municipalities do not agree to assume an authority's debts upon dissolution, the authority must repay or settle all debts and liabilities before it is allowed to dissolve.

House Introduced Bill → As Passed by the House · 3 edits · Sep 18, 2025

MINOR

This bill update clarifies how recreational authorities must distribute tax payments to local governments, requiring distribution based on land area and tax rates rather than leaving it to a negotiated formula. It also standardizes the language regarding liability for dissolved authorities and corrects a typo in the state's name. Additionally, the bill number for a related Senate measure was updated to reflect the final legislative version.

Scope change

The scope of applicability for tax distribution rules was narrowed and specified to exclude certain school district levies, while the liability rules for dissolved authorities remain substantively the same but with clearer wording.

FISCAL

Changed the method for distributing tax payments from a flexible formula agreed upon by parties to a mandatory calculation based on the portion of land located in each unit and that unit's millage rate, with specific exclusions for school district levies.

REQUIREMENT

Refined the language regarding dissolved authorities to clarify that debts do not transfer to participating municipalities unless they explicitly agreed to assume them.

TECHNICAL

Corrected a typo in the title changing 'people' to 'peoplE' and updated the bill number for a related Senate bill to 4798.

Local government: authorities; revisions to the recreational authorities act; provide for. Amends secs. 5, 7, 11 & 21 of 2000 PA 321 (MCL 123.1135 et seq.) & adds secs. 5a, 9a & 10. TIE BAR WITH: HB 4695'25, HB 4798'25

What changed between versions

How they voted

Actions timeline

Sponsors