"Fill the Boot" Drives Back on the Street - Michigan Legislative Consultants MLC

“Fill the Boot” Drives Back on the Street

Jul 14, 2017

During the summer session held this week, the House voted to allow charitable organizations to resume roadside fundraising activities. MLC’s client, the Lions Club of Michigan, had been hosting “Fill the Boot” drives for decades before an Attorney General ruling suspended all roadside donation events in the fall of 2016. Roadside fundraising has proven the most effective way for the Lions Club and other groups, including firefighters, to collect money for charity leading many to voice concern over decision.

The House came up with a solution in House Bill 4160 by setting new guidelines for this type of fundraising:

The charitable or civic organization is registered as a nonprofit
Solicitations are made during daylight hours
The individual doing the fundraising maintains at least half a million dollars in liability insurance
The person fundraising is 18 years of age or older
The person is wearing high-visibility safety apparel
The fundraising area is not a work zone and is within an intersection where traffic control devices are present

House Bill 4160 also allows for municipalities to make decisions on roadside fundraising within their communities. The bill has been sent to the Governor for final consideration.

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