(i) Until February 1, 2009, decreasing the flow of a river or stream by part of the index flow such that the river's or stream's ability to support characteristic fish populations is functionally impaired. See Michigan Laws 324.32701

Amendment: A proposal to alter the text of a pending bill or other measure by striking out some of it, by inserting new language, or both. Before an amendment becomes part of the measure, thelegislature must agree to it.

Appropriation: The provision of funds, through an annual appropriations act or a permanent law, for federal agencies to make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes. The formal federal spending process consists of two sequential steps: authorization

Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.

Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.

Ballot container: means a container that is used for transporting and storing voted ballots, as described and approved under section 24j. See Michigan Laws 168.14a

Baseline: Projection of the receipts, outlays, and other budget amounts that would ensue in the future without any change in existing policy. Baseline projections are used to gauge the extent to which proposed legislation, if enacted into law, would alter current spending and revenue levels.

Common law: The legal system that originated in England and is now in use in the United States. It is based on judicial decisions rather than legislative action.

Community supply: means that term as it is defined in section 2 of the safe drinking water act, 1976 PA 399, MCL 325. See Michigan Laws 324.32701

Compact: means the Great Lakes-St. See Michigan Laws 324.32701

Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.

Consumptive use: means that portion of water withdrawn or withheld from the Great Lakes basin and assumed to be lost or otherwise not returned to the Great Lakes basin due to evaporation, incorporation into products or agricultural products, use as part of the packaging of products or agricultural products, or other processes. See Michigan Laws 324.32701

Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.

Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.

Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.

Department: means the director of the department of natural resources or his or her designee to whom the director delegates a power or duty by written instrument. See Michigan Laws 324.301

Department: means the department of environmental quality. See Michigan Laws 324.32701

Devise: To gift property by will.

Diagnostic pharmaceutical agent: means a topically administered prescription drug or other topically administered drug used for the purpose of investigating, analyzing, and diagnosing a defect or abnormal condition of the human eye or ocular adnexa. See Michigan Laws 333.17401

Diversion: means a transfer of water from the Great Lakes basin into another watershed, or from the watershed of 1 of the Great Lakes into that of another by any means of transfer, including, but not limited to, a pipeline, canal, tunnel, aqueduct, channel, modification of the direction of a water course, tanker ship, tanker truck, or rail tanker but does not apply to water that is used in the Great Lakes basin or a Great Lake watershed to manufacture or produce a product that is then transferred out of the Great Lakes basin or watershed. See Michigan Laws 324.32701

Drug: means that term as defined in section 17703, but does not include a controlled substance as defined in section 7104 and included in schedule 2 under section 7214, an oral cortical steroid, or a prescription drug. See Michigan Laws 333.17401

Election: means an election or primary election at which the electors of this state or of a subdivision of this state choose or nominate by ballot an individual for public office or decide a ballot question lawfully submitted to them. See Michigan Laws 168.2

election precinct: as used in this act shall mean a political subdivision, the area of which is embraced in its entirety within the confines of a city, ward, township or village, and for which not more than 1 polling place is provided for all qualified and registered electors residing therein. See Michigan Laws 168.654

Electrodiagnostic studies: means the testing of neuromuscular functions utilizing nerve conduction tests and needle electromyography. See Michigan Laws 333.17501

Environmentally sound and economically feasible water conservation measures: means those measures, methods, technologies, or practices for efficient water use and for reduction of water loss and waste or for reducing a withdrawal, consumptive use, or diversion that meet all of the following:

    (i) Are environmentally sound. See Michigan Laws 324.32701

Equitable: Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could afford no other remedy. See damages. A separate court of "equity" could order someone to do something or to cease to do something. See, e.g., injunction. In American jurisprudence, the federal courts have both legal and equitable power, but the distinction is still an important one. For example, a trial by jury is normally available in "law" cases but not in "equity" cases. ^{Source: U.S. Courts}

Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.

Ex officio: Literally, by virtue of one's office.

Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.

Freedom of Information Act: A federal law that mandates that all the records created and kept by federal agencies in the executive branch of government must be open for public inspection and copying. The only exceptions are those records that fall into one of nine exempted categories listed in the statute. ^{Source: OCC}

general November election: means the election held on the November regular election date in an even numbered year. See Michigan Laws 168.2

Gift: A voluntary transfer or conveyance of property without consideration, or for less than full and adequate consideration based on fair market value.

in writing: shall be construed to include printing, engraving, and lithographing; except that if the written signature of a person is required by law, the signature shall be the proper handwriting of the person or, if the person is unable to write, the person's proper mark, which may be, unless otherwise expressly prohibited by law, a clear and classifiable fingerprint of the person made with ink or another substance. See Michigan Laws 8.3q

Intrabasin transfer: means a diversion of water from the source watershed of a Great Lake prior to its use to the watershed of another Great Lake. See Michigan Laws 324.32701

Invasive procedures: means all of the following:

    (i) The use of lasers other than for observation. See Michigan Laws 333.17401

Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.

Large quantity withdrawal: means 1 or more cumulative total withdrawals of over 100,000 gallons of water per day average in any consecutive 30-day period that supply a common distribution system. See Michigan Laws 324.32701

Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). ^{Source: OCC}

Liabilities: The aggregate of all debts and other legal obligations of a particular person or legal entity.

Manufacturer: means a person that prepares, produces, derives, propagates, compounds, processes, packages, or repackages a drug or device salable on prescription only, or otherwise changes the container or the labeling of a drug or device salable on prescription only, and that supplies, distributes, sells, offers for sale, barters, or otherwise disposes of that drug or device and any other drug or device salable on prescription only, to another person for resale, compounding, or dispensing. See Michigan Laws 333.17706

Minority leader: See Floor Leaders

month: means a calendar month; the word "year" a calendar year; and the word "year" alone shall be equivalent to the words "year of our Lord". See Michigan Laws 8.3j

New or increased withdrawal capacity: means new or additional water withdrawal capacity to supply a common distribution system that is an increase from the person's baseline capacity. See Michigan Laws 324.32701

Nursing home: means that term as defined in section 20109. See Michigan Laws 333.17301

Nursing home administrator: means the individual licensed under this article to engage in the practice of nursing home administration. See Michigan Laws 333.17301

Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.

Optometrist: means an individual licensed under this article to engage in the practice of optometry. See Michigan Laws 333.17401

Participating physician: means a physician, a physician designated by a group of physicians under section 17549 to represent that group, or a physician designated by a health facility or agency under section 20174 to represent that health facility or agency. See Michigan Laws 333.17501

Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.

person: may extend and be applied to bodies politic and corporate, as well as to individuals. See Michigan Laws 8.3l

Person: means an individual, partnership, corporation, association, governmental entity, or other legal entity. See Michigan Laws 324.301

Personal property: All property that is not real property.

Physician: means that term as defined in section 17001 or 17501. See Michigan Laws 333.17401

Physician: means an individual who is licensed or authorized under this article to engage in the practice of osteopathic medicine and surgery. See Michigan Laws 333.17501

Physician: means a physician who is licensed under part 170 or part 175. See Michigan Laws 333.17201

Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.

Practice agreement: means an agreement described in section 17547. See Michigan Laws 333.17501

Practice of nursing: means the systematic application of substantial specialized knowledge and skill, derived from the biological, physical, and behavioral sciences, to the care, treatment, counsel, and health teaching of individuals who are experiencing changes in the normal health processes or who require assistance in the maintenance of health and the prevention or management of illness, injury, or disability. See Michigan Laws 333.17201

Practice of nursing home administration: means planning, organizing, directing, and controlling the total operation of the nursing home on behalf of the governing board or owner of a nursing home. See Michigan Laws 333.17301

Practice of optometry: means 1 or more of the following, but does not include the performance of invasive procedures:

    (i) The examination of the human eye to ascertain the presence of defects or abnormal conditions that may be corrected, remedied, or relieved, or the effects of which may be corrected, remedied, or relieved by the use of lenses, prisms, or other mechanical devices. See Michigan Laws 333.17401

Practice of osteopathic medicine and surgery: means a separate, complete, and independent school of medicine and surgery utilizing full methods of diagnosis and treatment in physical and mental health and disease, including the prescription and administration of drugs and biologicals, operative surgery, obstetrics, radiological and other electromagnetic emissions, and placing special emphasis on the interrelationship of the musculoskeletal system to other body systems. See Michigan Laws 333.17501

Prescription drug: means that term as defined in section 17708, but does not include a controlled substance as defined in section 7104 and included in schedule 2 under section 7214 or an oral cortical steroid. See Michigan Laws 333.17401

Preventative measure: means an action affecting a stream or river that prevents an adverse resource impact by diminishing the effect of a withdrawal on stream or river flow or the temperature regime of the stream or river. See Michigan Laws 324.32701

qualified elector: as used in this act , means a person who possesses the qualifications of an elector as prescribed in section 1 of article II of the state constitution of 1963 and who has resided in the city or township 30 days. See Michigan Laws 168.10

Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business.

Remainder: An interest in property that takes effect in the future at a specified time or after the occurrence of some event, such as the death of a life tenant.

River: means a flowing body of water with a drainage area of 80 or more square miles. See Michigan Laws 324.32701

School district: means a school district, a local act school district, or an intermediate school district, as those terms are defined in the revised school code, 1976 PA 451, MCL 380. See Michigan Laws 168.4

seal: means a seal of high tensile strength that is approved by the secretary of state under section 36. See Michigan Laws 168.14a

shall not apply: means that the pertinent provision is not operative as to certain persons or things or in conjunction with a particular date or dates. See Michigan Laws 8.4c

Site-specific review: means the department's independent review under section 32706c to determine whether the withdrawal is a zone A, zone B, zone C, or zone D withdrawal and whether a withdrawal is likely to cause an adverse resource impact. See Michigan Laws 324.32701

Source watershed: means the watershed from which a withdrawal originates. See Michigan Laws 324.32701

state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, shall be construed to extend to and include the District of Columbia and the several territories belonging to the United States; and the words "United States" shall be construed to include the district and territories. See Michigan Laws 8.3o

Statute: A law passed by a legislature.

Stream: means a flowing body of water with a drainage area of less than 80 square miles. See Michigan Laws 324.32701

Supplemental appropriation: Budget authority provided in an appropriations act in addition to regular or continuing appropriations already provided. Supplemental appropriations generally are made to cover emergencies, such as disaster relief, or other needs deemed too urgent to be postponed until the enactment of next year's regular appropriations act.

Task force: means the joint task force created in section 17025. See Michigan Laws 333.17501

Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.

Uniform voting system: means the type of voting system that is used at all elections in every election precinct throughout the state. See Michigan Laws 168.4

United States: shall be construed to include the district and territories. See Michigan Laws 8.3o

village: as used in this act , shall mean an incorporated village. See Michigan Laws 168.9

Waters of the state: means groundwater, lakes, rivers, and streams and all other watercourses and waters, including the Great Lakes, within the territorial boundaries of the state. See Michigan Laws 324.32701

Withdrawal: means the removal of water from surface water or groundwater. See Michigan Laws 324.32701