Sec. 3.

(1) All money received under the county payment program shall be expended for the purposes described under chapter 192, 35 Stat. 260, 16 U.S.C. 500, including the secure rural schools and community self-determination act of 2000. The department shall distribute money received under the county payment program to county treasurers in accordance with annual amounts provided by the United States department of agriculture, forest service, under the county payment program.

(2) Not later than September 30 of each year, the county board of commissioners of a county that is eligible to receive a payment under the county payment program shall provide written notification to the director and the United States secretary of agriculture that indicates the county board of commissioners' election to receive either the full payment amount or the 25-percent payment amount. The election by a county board of commissioners is subject to all of the following:

(a) An election made by a county board of commissioners to receive the full payment amount shall remain in effect through fiscal year 2006.

(b) An election by a county board of commissioners to receive the 25-percent payment amount shall remain in effect for 2 fiscal years.

(c) If a county board of commissioners fails to provide notification to the United States secretary of agriculture, the county is considered to have elected to receive the 25-percent payment amount.

(d) If a county board of commissioners elects to receive the full payment amount, the written notification shall also include the total amount of the payment that will be set aside for each of the uses provided for in subsection (5)(b) and the county board of commissioners shall provide a copy of the notification to the United States secretary of agriculture.

(e) If a county board of commissioners that has elected to receive the full payment amount fails to provide notification to the United States secretary of agriculture by September 30 of any year, the county treasurer of that county shall return 15% of the payment received for that fiscal year to the general treasury of the United States and the county shall use the remaining funds for the purposes set forth in subsection (4).

(3) As required under the secure rural schools and community self-determination act of 2000, the governor shall provide written notification to the United States secretary of agriculture of the election by each eligible county.

(4) If a county board of commissioners elects to receive the 25-percent payment amount, the county treasurer of that county shall redistribute all of the money in a ratio of 75% to local school districts for school purposes and 25% to townships for the improvement of county roads within those townships. The money redistributed under this subsection shall be apportioned among the local school districts and townships in the same proportion as the national forest acreage in each school district or township is to the total national forest acreage in the county.

(5) Except as provided in subsection (6), if a county board of commissioners elects to receive the full payment amount, the county treasurer shall do both of the following:

(a) Redistribute not less than 80% and not more than 85% of the funds as provided for in subsection (4).

(b) Set aside the remaining funds for 1 or more of the following:

(i) Reserve the balance for special projects on federal lands as provided for in title II of the secure rural schools and community self-determination act of 2000.

(ii) Reserve the balance for county projects as provided for in title III of the secure rural schools and community self-determination act of 2000.

(iii) Return the balance to the general treasury of the United States.

(6) If a county board of commissioners elects to receive the full payment amount, for any fiscal year the payment to the county is less than $100,000.00, the county board of commissioners may elect to distribute the funds as provided for in subsection (4).

(7) Upon expiration of the election provisions of the secure rural schools and community self-determination act of 2000, a county treasurer that receives payment under this section shall redistribute all of the money as provided for in subsection (4).

(8) At the request of the department, a county treasurer shall provide information to the department related to the distribution of funds under this act as necessary for the department to meet its obligations under federal law.

(9) The county board of commissioners of a county that is eligible to receive a payment under the county payment program may refuse to accept the payment by returning the payment amount to the general treasury of the United States.

History: 1990, Act 182, Imd. Eff. July 18, 1990 ;-- Am. 2003, Act 6, Imd. Eff. May 9, 2003