To authorize the Department of Transportation to enter “public-private partnerships” to provide a “transportation facility,” which among other things means toll roads, and potentially the Detroit River International Crossing project (DRIC). The bill establishes a regulatory framework for such projects, including provisions allowing future toll revenue to be pledged against debt incurred for the project ("bond sales").   Official Text and Analysis.

With the recommendation that the substitute (H-3) be adopted and that the bill then pass.

To replace the previous version of the bill with one that revises various details, but does not change its substance. This version was subsequently superseded by another substitute with more changes.

To replace the previous version of the bill with one that establishes a more limited public-private partnership authority. See Opsommer amendments to this bill for more details.

To replace the previous version of the bill with one that revises details but does not change the substance as previously described.

To require the Department of Transportation to craft agreements that minimize the state's potential liability for bridge toll revenue shortfalls.

To specify that the bill does not specifically authorize a Detroit River International Crossing (DRIC) project.

To require specific legislative approval for any new bridge, tunnel, lanes or road that charges tolls, user fees or imposes conditions on users.

To limit the term of any "public-private partnership" under the bill to 50 years.

To prohibit any DRIC funding until all obstacles have been removed from the proposed second span of the privately-owned Ambassador Bridge.

To require specific legisative authorization for any project that costs more than $100 million.

To tie-bar the bill to House Joint Resolution FFF, meaning this bill cannot become law unless that one does also. HJR FFF would place language in the Constitution specifying that all toll revenue from a DRIC or other "public-private partnership" project be used for transportation purposes or for paying down the project debt.

To tie-bar the bill to House Joint Resolution Y, meaning this bill cannot become law unless that one does also. HJR Y would place language in the Constitution earmarking certain transportation license fee revenue to the “Transportation Economic Development Fund,” or to road projects designed primarily for “rubber wheeled vehicles” (vs. trains, streetcars, etc.).

To establish that nothing in a public-private agreement would financially obligate or penalize any local government, or prohibit it from constructing any other transportation project or facility. Also, to require any public-private agreement to explicitly detail the full nature of noncompete clauses that exist within the agreement, and more.

To prohibit the use of "availability payments" for funding a project under the bill.

To specify that the bill applies to domestic authorities, not ones from another country (Canada) or state.

To prohibit any employee of the Department of Transportation or its director from receiving anything of monetary value from a party or concessionaire in a project under the bill.

To prohibit any upper level Department of Transportation employee from accepting a job with a partner or concessionaire in a project authorized under the bill for 10 years after leaving the state job.

To establish that any "instrumentality of government" created under the bill would be subject to the state Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Open Meetings Act (OMA).

To authorize the Department of Transportation to enter “public-private partnerships” and borrow money ("sell bonds") to provide a “transportation facility,” which among other things means toll roads, and potentially the Detroit River International Crossing project. The bill establishes a regulatory framework for such projects, including provisions allowing future toll revenue to be pledged against debt incurred for the project.

To discharge the Committee on Transportation from further consideration of the House-passed bill to authorize a Detroit River International Crossing bridge project. The defeat of the motion kills the project for now (although the campaign for it probably begins anew in the 2011 legislative session).