WHEREAS, the Congress has enacted the Highway Safety Act of 1966, as amended, requiring Michigan to establish a highway safety program designed to reduce traffic accidents and deaths, injuries and property damage resulting therefrom, and

    WHEREAS, Act 213 of the Public Acts of 1967 authorizes the Governor to take action necessary to secure the benefits available under the federal Highway Safety Act of 1966; and

    WHEREAS, the Federal Highway Safety Act of 1966 requires that the Governor of the State be responsible for the administration of the Michigan highway safety program; and

    WHEREAS, the highway safety program has been administered within the Executive Office of the Governor and for reasons of administrative efficiency, the functions performed in this program should be administered within one of the principal departments of the state; and

    WHEREAS, there is a need for a unified effort by state and local governments to halt the tragedy of highway accidents;

    THEREFORE, I, William G. Milliken, Governor of the State of Michigan, pursuant to the authority vested in me by the Constitution of the State of Michigan and by Act 213 of the Public Acts of 1967 do hereby transfer the highway safety program function from the Executive Office of the Governor to the Department of State Police, and order the establishment of the Office of Highway Safety Planning to be located in the Department of State Police.

    I hereby designate the executive director of the Office of Highway Safety Planning as the official representative of the Governor for the administration of the Michigan Highway Safety Program under the Highway Safety Act of 1966 and do hereby order the Director of the Department of State Police to combine the functions of the Office of Highway Safety Planning and the staff functions of the Michigan Safety Commission.

    Among the functions and responsibilities of the Office shall be the following:

    1. To provide, through use of all available resources, a comprehensive statewide highway safety plan to reduce traffic accidents and deaths, injuries and property damage resulting therefrom, developed in accordance with the highway safety needs and objectives of the State of Michigan and the requirements of National Highway Safety Standards.

    2. To apply for and accept grants from the federal government under the provisions of the Highway Safety Act of 1966 and to expend or approve for expenditure such grants in a manner consistent with the Constitution and laws of the State of Michigan.

    3. To apply for and accept grants from any public or private source for use in highway safety programs and to expend such grants in a manner consistent with the Constitution and laws of the State of Michigan.

    4. To administer a highway safety grants program to state departments and local units of government according to the rules, regulations and procedures established under the Highway Safety Act of 1966 and the laws of the State of Michigan.

    5. To assist in the coordination of the highway safety programs of all state departments and agencies, local units of government, and private agencies.

    From and after the effective date of this order, all records, property, personnel and unexpended balances of appropriations, allocations, and other funds used, held, employed, available or to be made available to the Office of Highway Safety Planning, are transferred to the Department of State Police.