House Bill 4496 Summary

• Allows placement of recreational diving structures (vessels, aircraft, and maritime artifacts) on Great Lakes bottomlands with a permit issued by the Department of Environmental Quality, subject to decommissioning standards and conditions protecting the public trust.

• Creates a new permit process under section 32512b requiring applicants to demonstrate the structure is properly decommissioned, suitable for scuba diving, will not impair public trust, and applicant will transfer ownership to the state upon placement.

• Consolidates oversight of abandoned property on Great Lakes bottomlands under the Department of Environmental Quality alone, removing joint administration previously shared with the Department of History, Arts, and Libraries.

• Establishes the Underwater Salvage and Preserve Committee with 9 members (including representatives from the DEQ and recreational diving interests) to advise on permit applications and Great Lakes bottomlands preserve management.

• Creates the Underwater Preserve Fund to support maritime archaeology development, promotion of bottomlands preserves, promotion of recreational scuba diving in the Great Lakes, and enforcement of regulations governing underwater salvage and preservation.