Senate Bill 716: Ban schools from practicing religious discrimination
Introduced by Sen. Mark Jansen (R) on December 10, 2013, to prohibit public schools and state universities from discriminating against a student or parent on the basis of religious views, or restricting the expression of those views on any otherwise permissible subject, in a manner that does not apply to the expression of non-religious views. This would apply to coursework and homework assignments in addition to classroom speech. Also, to require schools to give religious groups the same access to facilities as non-religious groups.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=161525
Senate Bill 717: Ban property owner association group child care home bans
Introduced by Sen. Rebekah Warren (D) on December 10, 2013, to prohibit property owners associations from adopting rules prohibiting a person using his or her property as a family child care home or a group child care home.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=161526
Senate Bill 718: Revise environmental law details
Introduced by Sen. Rebekah Warren (D) on December 10, 2013, to extend for another year a number of rules promulgated by the Department of Environmental Quality related to environmental contamination response activities, and to PCBs, which under a 2012 law were supposed to be rescinded at the end of 2013. The bill would also modify other technical details of the law governing environmental cleanup criteria.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=161527
Senate Bill 719: Allow renegotiation of state environmental cleanup and recreation loans
Introduced by Sen. Darwin Booher (R) on December 10, 2013, to allow the state to renegotiate the duration, interest rate and payment terms of loans it has made to local governments and others with money the state itself has borrowed under the 1998 “Clean Michigan Initiative” ballot proposal that authorized $675 million of new government debt (“bond sales”) for environmental cleanup and recreation projects.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=161528
Senate Bill 720: Increase unemployment benefits
Introduced by Sen. Tupac Hunter (D) on December 12, 2013, to repeal the 2011 law that reduced from 26 weeks to 20 weeks the maximum period a person is eligible for state unemployment benefits. That law was part of a package responding to a $3.8 billion debt this state had had incurred due to borrowing from the federal government to pay-out benefits boosted by higher unemployment and a 2002 law that boosted benefit levels.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=161586
Senate Bill 721: Extend liability immunity to drug overdose treatment
Introduced by Sen. Tonya Schuitmaker (R) on December 12, 2013, to expand an existing “good Samaritan” law by extending its liability exemptions to an individual who in good faith administers Naloxone to someone he or she believes is suffering the immediate effects of a heroin or other opioid overdose.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=161587
Senate Bill 722: Give new school employees 401(k), not pensions
Introduced by Sen. Arlan Meekhof (R) on December 12, 2013, to revise details of the school employee pension law to accommodate the proposal in Senate Bill 727 to close the current “defined benefit” pension system to new school employees hired starting July 1, 2014, and instead provide 401(k) contributions.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=161588
Senate Bill 723: Give new school employees 401(k), not pensions
Introduced by Sen. Phil Pavlov (R) on December 12, 2013, to revise details of the school employee pension law to accommodate the proposal in Senate Bill 727 to close the current “defined benefit” pension system to new school employees hired starting July 1, 2014, and instead provide 401(k) accounts. See Senate Bill 727.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=161589
Senate Bill 724: Give new school employees 401(k), not pensions
Introduced by Sen. Joe Hune (R) on December 12, 2013, to prohibit school employees from increasing their defined benefit pension benefits by purchasing “service credits” that artificially boost the years-on-the-job component of the formula used to calculate post-retirement benefit levels. This is part of a legislative package comprised of Senate Bills 722 to 728, which would close the current “defined benefit” pension system to new school employees hired starting July 1, 2014.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=161590
Senate Bill 725: Give new school employees 401(k), not pensions
Introduced by Sen. Mark Jansen (R) on December 12, 2013, to revise details of a disability early retirement allowance provision the school employee pension law to accommodate the proposal in Senate Bill 727 to close the current “defined benefit” pension system to new school employees hired starting July 1, 2014, and instead provide 401(k) accounts. See Senate Bill 727.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=161591
Senate Bill 726: Give new school employees 401(k), not pensions
Introduced by Sen. Bruce Caswell (R) on December 12, 2013, to grant public school retirees with income less than 133 percent of federal poverty level health insurance benefits in which the state will pay 90 percent of the cost of “coverage in the plan authorized by the retirement board.” This is part of a legislative package comprised of Senate Bills 722 to 728, which would close the current “defined benefit” pension system to new school employees hired starting July 1, 2014.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=161592
Senate Bill 727: Give new school employees 401(k), not pensions
Introduced by Sen. Mark Jansen (R) on December 12, 2013, to close the current “defined benefit” pension system to new school employees hired starting July 1, 2014, and instead provide 401(k) benefits. Employees could contribute up to 5 percent of salary to their account, and the local school district would have to contribute an amount equal to 80 percent of this. This is part of a legislative package comprised of Senate Bills 722 to 728.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=161593
Senate Bill 728: Give new school employees 401(k), not pensions
Introduced by Sen. Patrick Colbeck (R) on December 12, 2013, to revise details of the school employee pension law to accommodate the proposal in Senate Bill 727 to close the current “defined benefit” pension system to new school employees hired starting July 1, 2014, and instead provide 401(k) accounts. This is part of a legislative package comprised of Senate Bills 722 to 728.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=161594
Senate Bill 729: Impose prosecution cost reimbursement on retail fraudsters
Introduced by Sen. Goeff Hansen (R) on December 12, 2013, to expand a law that requires individuals convicted of certain offenses to reimburse state or local governments for emergency response and prosecution costs, so that it also applies to retail fraud cases.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=161595
Senate Bill 730: Mandate restaurant manager food allergy training
Introduced by Sen. Judy Emmons (R) on December 12, 2013, to mandate that restaurants employ at least one manager who has received training or viewed an approved video on food allergies.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=161596
Senate Bill 731: Make enforceable funeral arrangements in wills and advance directives
Introduced by Sen. Rebekah Warren (D) on December 12, 2013, to allow an individual to designate in a will or other advance directive a person to serve as a “funeral representative” to execute the decedent’s funeral arrangement directions, including the disposition of his or her remains.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=161597
House Bill 5187: Expand tool and die tax breaks
Introduced by Rep. Jon Switalski (D) on December 11, 2013, to require the state agency responsible for granting and overseeing selective tax breaks and subsidies to particular corporations or developers (the “Michigan Strategic Fund”) to “aggressively work with cities, villages, and townships and with tool and die businesses to maximize” the number of these businesses granted an extensive array of tax breaks authorized by a 2004 law, and subsequent expansions of that law.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=161566
House Bill 5188: Ban TIFA tax “captures” without local government permission
Introduced by Rep. Douglas Geiss (D) on December 11, 2013, to prohibit tax increment finance authorities from extending or expanding current projects, or authorizing new ones, that are funded by property tax revenue “captured” from local governments or other local taxing bodies, unless these entities have approved these potential reductions of their own tax revenue. These TIF schemes use the “increment” of extra property tax revenue that supposedly will result from economic growth generated by an authority’s projects or subsidies to repay the debts incurred to fund the projects or subsidies.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=161567
House Bill 5189: Mandate late-night convenience store security provisions
Introduced by Rep. Collene Lamonte (D) on December 11, 2013, to mandate that gas stations and convenience stores which are open between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. must either have a security camera system operating continuously at all times, or have at least two employees on the job.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=161568
House Bill 5190: Revise “habitual offender” criteria
Introduced by Rep. Dan Lauwers (R) on December 11, 2013, to allow certain serious juvenile criminal offense violations to be considered when determining whether an adult offender is deemed a “habitual offender” subject to an enhanced sentence.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=161569
House Bill 5191: Establish ORV helmet exceptions
Introduced by Rep. Bruce Rendon (R) on December 11, 2013, to provide an exception to the law that requires operators and riders of ORVs to wear a helmet, which would apply as long as the vehicle is being operated on private land, or at less than 10 m.p.h. in a licensed game bird hunting preserve, or if the vehicle has a roof that meets specified safety standards and the user wears a seatbelt.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=161570
House Bill 5192: Revise life insurance regulation detail
Introduced by Rep. Andrea LaFontaine (R) on December 11, 2013, to allow life insurance companies to use “preferred class structure mortality tables” to determine future-claim reserve levels, subject to specified limitations and restrictions.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=161571
House Bill 5193: Restrict closed-door local government lawsuit meetings
Introduced in the House on December 11, 2013, to prohibit government legislative bodies from holding closed-door sessions to discuss trial or settlement strategies, unless the matter being discussed is already being litigated.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=161572
House Bill 5194: Increase Open Meeting Act rigor
Introduced by Rep. Tom McMillin (R) on December 11, 2013, to establish that if a public body takes an action while in violation of the state Open Meetings Act, and then later re-enacts the decision while in compliance with the OMA, this does not exempt public officials from the misdemeanor and civil fine penalties the OMA authorizes for knowingly holding a meeting that violates its public notice and open-door requirements.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=161573
House Bill 5195: Allow multiple-customer deer sausage processing
Introduced in the House on December 12, 2013, to allow a butcher to produce wild game sausage using game caught by multiple customers if the butcher provides notice to these customers. This refers to hunters who pay to have game processed for their own private consumption and not for sale to the public.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=161574
House Bill 5196: Mandate school physical education hours
Introduced by Rep. Matt Lori (R) on December 12, 2013, to mandate that public schools provide at least 30 minutes of physical education twice a week, and an additional 60 minutes of physical activity per week, to children in grades K-5; and 45 minutes of physical education daily for one semester annually in grades 6-8.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=161575
House Bill 5197: Expand scrap metal regulatory regime
Introduced by Rep. Klint Kesto (R) on December 12, 2013, to authorize sentencing guidelines for violations of new scrap metal dealer regulations and requirements proposed by House Bill 4593.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=161576
House Bill 5198: Revise child services worker discipline procedure
Introduced by Rep. Michael McCready (R) on December 12, 2013, to allow access to confidential records contained in a state database of serious child abuse incidents to a state employee undergoing a disciplinary action, to his or her union representative, or to an arbitrator or official conducting a hearing involving the employee’s dereliction or malfeasance. This access would be for use of records solely in connection with that action or hearing.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=161577
House Bill 5199: Establish rental unit bedbug procedures
Introduced by Rep. Andy Schor (D) on December 12, 2013, to establish the duties of both landlords and tenants related to a rental unit that is infested with bedbugs. A landlord would be prohibited from renting a unit that he or she knows is infested with bedbugs; required to have the premises treated by pest control professional; required to notify subsequent rental applicants that the unit was treated, and more. Tenants would be required to grant reasonable access to pest control personnel and comply with the control protocols established by the landlord. The bill authorizes penalties and legal remedies. See also Senate Bill 657.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=161578
House Bill 5200: Establish rental unit bedbug procedures
Introduced by Rep. Mike Callton (R) on December 12, 2013, to include pest infestations as a reason the state or a local health department may issue an order to a building owner to correct the condition, or correct it themselves and charge the owner for the costs for refusing to comply with the order. See also House Bill 5199 and Senate Bill 657.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=161579
House Bill 5201: Establish rental unit bedbug procedures
Introduced by Rep. George T. Darany (D) on December 12, 2013, to require the Department of Community Health to develop a model policy regarding bedbug infestations for use by local governments and health departments. See also House Bill 5199 and Senate Bill 657.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=161580
House Bill 5202: Revise special assessment property tax detail
Introduced by Rep. Michael McCready (R) on December 12, 2013, to revise a detail of a law authorizing special assessment (property tax) payment installment plans by a township.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=161581
House Bill 5203: Move back teacher rating process deadlines
Introduced by Rep. Martin Howrylak (R) on December 12, 2013, to move back by one year the deadlines imposed by a 2011 law establishing a process for determining whether teachers are “effective” or not, and basing school employment decisions on these ratings.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=161582
House Bill 5204: Require state give locals chance to buy surplus snow equipment
Introduced by Rep. Scott Dianda (D) on December 12, 2013, to require the state Department of Transportation to give local governments the right of first refusal when it chooses to sell or dispose of surplus snow removal equipment.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=161583
House Bill 5205: Facilitate “advanced waste energy recovery”
Introduced by Rep. Aric Nesbitt (R) on December 12, 2013, to streamline state regulations so as to facilitate the use of “advanced waste energy recovery” methods.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=161584
Senate Bill 732: Ban employers asking about employee contraceptive use
Introduced by Sen. Jim Ananich (D) on January 8, 2014, to prohibit employers from asking employees or job applicants about their use or nonuse of contraceptives.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=161914
Senate Bill 733: Increase government legal immunity to roadway defect claims
Introduced by Sen. Mike Kowall (R) on January 8, 2014, to exempt governments from liability for property damage, injury or death of a pedestrian or “other person not traveling in a motor vehicle” on a highway, unless the plaintiff proves that at least 30 days before the event the governmental agency knew or should have known of the existence of a roadway defect as defined in the bill.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=161915
Senate Bill 734: Establish utility worker safety day
Introduced by Sen. Bruce Caswell (R) on January 8, 2014, to establish that henceforth, December 6 shall be designated “Utility Workers Safety Awareness Day” in the state of Michigan.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=161916
House Bill 5182: Give tax break to nonprofit housing organizations
Introduced by Rep. Dale W. Zorn (R) on December 10, 2013, to exempt dwellings owned by a charitable nonprofit housing organization from property tax for five years, or until the property is transferred to a low income person. Under current law, local governments may grant this tax break but are not required to.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=161948
House Bill 5183: Expand homeowner income tax credit
Introduced by Rep. Martin Howrylak (R) on December 10, 2013, to increase and index to inflation certain income and home value caps that limit the principle residence property tax credit that homeowners can claim on their state income tax.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=161949
House Bill 5184: Repeal limit on electric utility competition
Introduced by Rep. Mike Shirkey (R) on December 10, 2013, to essentially repeal the core provisions of the 2008 law that limited electric utility competition to 10 percent of the commercial customers in large utilities’ service areas, and revise regulated utility rate-setting rules to accommodate this expansion of consumer choice.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=161950
House Bill 5185: Authorize and regulate “pharmaceutical-grade cannabis”
Introduced by Rep. Thomas Stallworth, III (D) on December 10, 2013, to establish a comprehensive regulatory regime for production and sale by pharmacies of “pharmaceutical-grade cannabis” to individuals with a debilitating medical condition, contingent on the federal government reclassifying marijuana from an illegal drug to a prescription drug. Michigan’s voter-initiated medical marijuana law, Initiated Law 1 of 2008, establishes a regulatory framework for patients or authorized caregivers growing their own; companies seeking “commercialized” distribution lobbied for this bill and the identical Senate Bill 660.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=161951
House Bill 5186
Introduced by Rep. Andy Schor (D) on December 10, 2013, Revise charitable “millionaire party” gambling regulations to revise the law governing charitable “millionaire party” gambling events that include casino games, in a manner that facilitates charitable organizations essentially contracting out the operation of these events to certain facilities, subject to various restrictions, and with a requirement that an organization have at least two members working at the events.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=161952
House Bill 5206: Establish “Blue Star Mothers” recognition day
Introduced by Rep. Terry Brown (D) on January 8, 2014, to declare that February 2 of each year be known in Michigan as “Blue Star Mothers Day”.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=161919
House Bill 5207: Ban prosecution of overdose victim or friend who seeks treatment
Introduced by Rep. Sam Singh (D) on January 8, 2014, to prohibit prosecutors from prosecuting an illegal drug case against an individual if the person was seeking medical attention for an overdose or bad reaction, either for him or herself, or for another person.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=161920
House Bill 5208: Suspend truants’ drivers licenses
Introduced by Rep. Andy Schor (D) on January 8, 2014, to require courts to notify the Secretary of State of minors prosecuted for truancy, so the Secretary of State can suspend or withhold their drivers license for six months as proposed by House Bill 5209.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=161921
House Bill 5209: Suspend truants’ drivers licenses
Introduced by Rep. Andy Schor (D) on January 8, 2014, to suspend for six months the drivers license of a minor who is prosecuted for “willful and repeated” school absence (or withhold a license from a minor who doesn’t have one yet).
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=161922
House Bill 5210: Repeal state land ownership cap
Introduced by Rep. Wayne Schmidt (R) on January 8, 2014, to repeal a cap on the amount of state-owned Department of Natural Resources land that was imposed by a 2012 law, and approve a “strategic plan” this law required the DNR to produce as a condition of removing the cap on state-owned land.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=161923
House Bill 5211: Extend no-fault “mini-tort” exemption
Introduced by Rep. Bill LaVoy (D) on January 8, 2014, to motorcycles to extend to motorcycles a $1,000 “mini-tort” exception to the prohibition on vehicle crash lawsuits under the state no fault insurance law.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=161924
House Bill 5212: Require conviction for drug defendant property forfeiture
Introduced by Rep. Jeff Irwin (D) on January 8, 2014, to establish that property seized from a defendant in an illegal drug prosecution is not subject to forfeiture unless the individual is actually convicted.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=161925
House Bill 5213: Ban using juveniles as police informants without parent’s permission
Introduced by Rep. Jeff Irwin (D) on January 8, 2014, to prohibit law enforcement agencies from using a juvenile as an enforcement-action participant or informant without first obtaining written consent from the child’s parent or legal guardian.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=161927
House Bill 5214: Prohibit working seven days a week for an employer
Introduced by Rep. Sean McCann (D) on January 8, 2014, to mandate that employers must give employees “at least 24 consecutive hours of rest in every calendar week,” with some exceptions. The bill would also impose a related record-keeping mandate on employers.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=161928
House Bill 5215: Reimburse locals for disabled veteran’s tax exemption
Introduced by Rep. Wayne Schmidt (R) on January 8, 2014, to require the state to reimburse local governments and school districts for the foregone revenue generated by the expansion of a principal residence property tax exemption for disabled veterans that was mandated by a new state law enacted two months before this bill’s introduction.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=161929
House Bill 5216: Authorize goverrnment “certificate of employability” for ex-cons
Introduced by Rep. Klint Kesto (R) on January 9, 2014, to authorize the Department of Corrections to issue (at its discretion) a “certificate of employability” to prisoners being released who have behaved well in prison, got counseling, earned a GED, and met other criteria (some of which are undefined and subjective).
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=161953
House Bill 5217: Authorize goverrnment “certificate of employability” for ex-cons
Introduced by Rep. John Walsh (R) on January 9, 2014, to give employers limited liability in personal injury, property damage and wrongful death lawsuits arising from the actions of an employee who is an ex-convict hired after the individual was granted a “certificate of employability” by the state Department of Corrections, as proposed by House Bill 5216.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=161954
House Bill 5218: Authorize goverrnment “certificate of employability” for ex-cons
Introduced by Rep. Harvey Santana (D) on January 9, 2014, to revise details of the “good moral character” prerequisite in occupational licensure mandates to conform with the ex-convict “certificate of employability” proposed by House Bill 5216. Specifically, the bill would allow but not require licensure boards to consider criminal prosecutions or lawsuit judgments as evidence of an individual not having “good moral character,” but require that they take notice of whether an ex-convict was granted the state “certificate of employability” proposed by House Bill 5216.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=161955