2011 Senate Bill 201

Undo “two inch sidewalk crack” court ruling

Introduced in the Senate

Feb. 24, 2011

Introduced by Sen. Tonya Schuitmaker (R-20)

To revise the law that establishes the extent to which a person can sue a local government or officials for failure to perform a governmental function. The bill would reverse the effect of a recent Supreme Court case related to sidewalk cracks. The court held that a statute establishing that a government is liable only for a sidewalk defect or “discontinuity” greater than two inches applies only to county roads. The bill would extend this to a sidewalk adjacent to “any municipal, county or state” highway, street or road.

Referred to the Committee on Judiciary

June 16, 2011

Reported without amendment

With the recommendation that the substitute (S-4) be adopted and that the bill then pass.

June 21, 2011

Substitute offered

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

The substitute passed by voice vote

June 22, 2011

Passed in the Senate 32 to 6 (details)

Received in the House

June 22, 2011

Referred to the Committee on Judiciary