Section 399.410 - Friends of the maritime museum organization; establishment; powers; official recognition; qualifications; letter of certification; rules; use of museum facilities(1) The department shall encourage the creation of an officially recognized friends of the maritime museum organization designed to provide funding, promotional support, volunteer labor, and other forms of assistance to the maritime museum.(2) If established, the officially recognized friends of the maritime museum organization may do all of the following:(a) Make expenditures on behalf of the programs of the maritime museum, if such expenditures are requested by the department.(b) Use the facilities of the maritime museum without charge upon receipt of written permission from the department to do so. Use of the maritime museum facilities shall be in keeping with the authorized purposes of the friends of the maritime museum organization, shall not be made at times and places that would unreasonably interfere with opportunities of the general public to use the facilities for established purposes, and shall be subject to the other provisions of this section.(c) Engage in fund-raising activities at the maritime museum.(d) Operate a maritime museum store or other sales facilities, or both, if the department enters into a concession agreement with the friends of the maritime museum organization.(3) To qualify as the officially recognized friends of the maritime museum organization, an organization shall do all of the following:(a) Incorporate under the laws of the state of Michigan.(b) Operate on a nonprofit basis.(c) Request written approval from the department, using procedures and forms prescribed by the department, to function as an officially recognized friends of the maritime museum organization.(4) Except as provided in subsection (5), if an entity qualifies as the officially recognized friends of the maritime museum organization, the department shall issue a letter of certification recognizing the friends of the maritime museum organization's qualifications. The letter shall specify the conditions under which the friends of the maritime museum organization may make expenditures on behalf of the maritime museum and may include other appropriate provisions.(5) Nothing in this section requires the department to certify a friends of the maritime museum organization that meets the qualifications prescribed in this section.(6) The department may promulgate rules pursuant to the administrative procedures act of 1969, 1969 PA 306, MCL 24.201 to 24.328, to establish special conditions with which the friends of the maritime museum organization shall comply in order to use maritime museum facilities.(7) The department shall not permit the use of museum facilities if the friends of the maritime museum organization fails to provide membership and employment opportunities to all persons regardless of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, or physical disability.1990, Act 325, Imd. Eff. 12/21/1990 ;--Am. 1998, Act 443, Imd. Eff. 12/30/1998.