Senate Bill 584: Eliminate statute of limitations on child sex trafficking
Passed 108 to 1 in the House on October 2, 2014, to eliminate the statute of limitations for prosecution of human trafficking crimes that cost the life of another, and establish a 25 year limitation on prosecuting other human trafficking or commercial sexual exploitation of minors offenses.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=696299
Senate Bill 592: Human trafficking crime package
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on October 2, 2014, to concur with the House-passed version of the bill.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=696433
Senate Bill 1094: Prioritize veterans for mental health services
Introduced by Sen. Rebekah Warren (D) on October 1, 2014, to include services for veterans in the priorities for community mental health programs. Current law gives priority to “individuals with the most severe forms of serious mental illness, serious emotional disturbance, and developmental disability”.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165434
Senate Bill 1095: Require insurers offer abortion coverage option with federal health care law
Introduced by Sen. Rebekah Warren (D) on October 1, 2014, to require (rather than just allow) health insurance companies to offer an optional abortion coverage “rider” for policies sold in Michigan through the federal health care law’s “exchange.” Under “Initiated legislation” enacted in 2013, insurers are prohibited from including abortion coverage in policies sold through the exchange, but may sell a policy “rider” for this, for which individuals must pay themselves with no federal subsidy.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165435
Senate Bill 1096: Facilitate insurance coverage for telemedicine
Introduced by Sen. Rebekah Warren (D) on October 1, 2014, to revise details of the state law authorizing a comprehensive health insurance regulatory regime, to accommodate health insurance coverage for “asynchronous store and forward action,” defined as “transmission of a patient’s medical information from an originating site to a health care professional at a distant site for review of the information by the professional at the distant site” at a different time. In other words, telemedicine.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165436
Senate Bill 1097: Expand technology business subsidies
Introduced by Sen. Mark Jansen (R) on October 1, 2014, to authorize the creation of three additional “certified technology parks” (previously dubbed “smart zones”), in which “tax increment financing” is used to provide infrastructure or other subsidies to technology-based businesses. These authorities “capture” the extra local property tax revenue that (hopefully) results from property value increases generated by certain improvement projects (or selective business subsidies) undertaken or granted by the authority.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165437
Senate Bill 1098: Prioritize foster care children for mental health services
Introduced by Sen. Bruce Caswell (R) on October 1, 2014, to include services for long term foster care children in the priorities for community mental health programs. Current law gives priority to “individuals with the most severe forms of serious mental illness, serious emotional disturbance, and developmental disability”.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165438
Senate Bill 1099: Redesignate a highway
Introduced by Sen. Mark Jansen (R) on September 30, 2014, to designate a portion of Highway M-6 in Kent county as the “David Warsen Memorial Highway”.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165406
Senate Bill 1100: Authorize sales tax collection fraud detector mandate
Introduced by Sen. John Pappageorge (R) on October 1, 2014, on merchants to give the state Department of Treasury the authority to mandate that, for purposes of collecting sales tax, merchants must install software or detectors to expose the use an “automated sales suppression device” for falsifying the records of electronic cash registers (also called “zappers” or “phantom-ware”).
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165433
Senate Bill 1101: Mandate health care providers offer Hepatitis C test
Introduced by Sen. Jim Marleau (R) on October 2, 2014, to mandate that primary care health facilities and professionals must offer individuals receiving health care who were born between 1945 and 1965 a Hepatitis C test, with certain specified exceptions.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165425
Senate Bill 1102: Revise guardian/conservator qualifications
Introduced by Sen. Rick Jones (R) on October 2, 2014, to revise the law that empowers courts to appoint a guardian and/or conservator to protect the interests and/or assets of a vulnerable individual, by prohibiting appointment of a guardian serving in another state who has abused, exploited, or neglected a legally incapacitated individual. A 2011 law authorized appointment of individuals located in other states.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165426
Senate Bill 1103: Revise film producer subsidy formula
Introduced by Sen. Randy Richardville (R) on October 1, 2014, to increase the percentage of film production personnel expenses used to calculate how much state subsidy money a particular producer may be granted. Under current law, up to $50 million in state tax revenues may be redistributed to film producers in the current fiscal year, with the amount going to particular projects based on a formula that includes these costs.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165427
Senate Bill 1104: Add new charter school restrictions
Introduced by Sen. Hoon-Yung Hopgood (D) on October 2, 2014, to freeze the number of charter schools at the current level. The bill would also prohibit authorization of a new charter school unless the state Board of Education grants a “certificate of need” based on the number of nearby conventional public schools, whether these are on a list of the 5 percent worst public schools, the impact on nearby schools of a new competitor, the number of students on nearby charter school waiting lists, and more. Also, to require the state Superintendent of Public Instruction to consider certain performance, oversight and transparency criteria for charter school authorizers; require charter school boards to use competitive bidding to select an educational management company that will run a school; and more.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165428
Senate Bill 1105: Add Romulus deep injection well restrictions
Introduced by Sen. Hoon-Yung Hopgood (D) on October 2, 2014, to prohibit the Detroit pension system from making any further investments in the hazardous waste deep disposal well facility in Romulus, and impose conditions that probably would require divestment of its ownership interest.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165429
Senate Bill 1106: Add Romulus deep injection well restrictions
Introduced by Sen. Hoon-Yung Hopgood (D) on October 2, 2014, to impose additional requirements and restrictions on a controversial hazardous waste deep disposal well facility in Romulus.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165430
Senate Bill 1107: Revise ban on teachers union bargaining over privatization
Introduced by Sen. John Pappageorge (R) on October 2, 2014, to revise details of a law that prohibits teachers unions from bargaining over whether a school district can seek competitive bids for noninstructional support services, as long as the district allows unionized school employees to be given a chance to bid on any outsourced service.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165431
Senate Bill 1108: Expand Viet Nam veteran grant eligibility to post-Viet Nam era vets
Introduced by Sen. Vincent Gregory (D) on October 2, 2014, to extend a state grant that was given to Viet Nam era veterans under a 1974 law, so that the award would also be given to individuals who were in the military between September 1, 1973 and May 7, 1975. The last U.S. combat troops were withdrawn from Viet Nam in August, 1972.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165432
House Bill 5233: Expand scope of criminal property seizure law
Passed 37 to 1 in the Senate on October 2, 2014, to expand the reach of the state’s criminal forfeiture law by making the property of an owner deemed “willfully blind” to illegal activity taking place on the premises subject to forfeiture. The bill would also allow the seizure of real or personal property that had been transferred to a new owner after the crime in some cases, let the government wait up to 28 days before giving notice that property is being seized (under current law this is seven days), and authorize forfeiture for home invasion, rape and other serious sex crimes. The state criminal forfeiture law allows the government to seize property used in a crime or acquired with the proceeds of a crime, with the net proceeds from its sale turned over to the agencies that are “substantially involved in effecting the forfeiture”.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=696416
House Bill 5858: Require insurers offer abortion coverage option with federal health care law
Introduced by Rep. Pam Faris (D) on September 30, 2014, to require (rather than just allow) health insurance companies to offer an optional abortion coverage “rider” for policies sold in Michigan through the federal health care law’s “exchange.” Under “Initiated legislation” enacted in 2013, insurers are prohibited from including abortion coverage in policies sold through the exchange, but may sell a policy “rider” for this, for which individuals must pay themselves with no federal subsidy.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165392
House Bill 5859: Authorize more sand dune land use restrictions
Introduced by Rep. Collene Lamonte (D) on September 30, 2014, to place the burden of proof on property owners that improvements and construction on land deemed to be a “critical sand dune” complies with the extensive regulatory permit requirements and restrictions that state law currently imposes on such projects. Under current law, the burden is on the state or a local government to provide information in a permit denial showing that a project will not comply with these regulations. The bill would also allow local governments to impose their own restrictions and requirements that exceed state law.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165393
House Bill 5860: Revise property appraiser standards detail
Introduced by Rep. Margaret O’Brien (R) on September 30, 2014, to establish that any changes made to property appraiser standards and qualifications by a national appraisal foundation referenced in the state licensure law will be adopted automatically as this state’s standard unless the director of the relevant state agency decides otherwise.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165394
House Bill 5861: Appropriate $2 million for year-round school pilot program
Introduced by Rep. Andy Schor (D) on September 30, 2014, to appropriate $2 million to create a year-round school pilot program.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165395
House Bill 5862: Revise fire insurance settlement escrow amount
Introduced by Rep. Amanda Price (R) on September 30, 2014, to increase the maximum amount that municipalities can withhold from a property owner’s fire insurance settlement until there is evidence that the property is or will be repaired, replaced, or removed. Under current law, cities, villages and townships in larger counties can withhold up to $8,295, which is indexed to inflation. The bill would increase this to $12,000.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165396
House Bill 5863: Regulate police use of license plate scanners
Introduced by Rep. Tom McMillin (R) on September 30, 2014, to regulate police use of license plate scanners, which automatically read all license plate numbers and cross-reference them against law enforcement data banks. The bill would establish training and accountability requirements, restrict access to the captured information, restrict use of the captured information to specified law enforcement purposes, require plate numbers to be purged from the system every two hours, and more.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165397
House Bill 5864: Change state road funding allocation formula
Introduced by Rep. Tom McMillin (R) on September 30, 2014, to allocate state road tax money to local governments primarily on the basis of population rather than miles of road in the jurisdiction.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165398
House Bill 5865: Expand delinquent utility customer shutoff restrictions
Introduced by Rep. Greg MacMaster (R) on September 30, 2014, to broaden a restriction on utilities cutting off service to households with delinquent accounts during the heating season so that it applies to all customers, not just ones on welfare.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165399
House Bill 5866: Increase school spending to create gifted student programs
Introduced by Rep. Sam Singh (D) on September 30, 2014, to appropriate an extra $2.5 million for Intermediate School Districts to identify all the “gifted and talented” students in their constituent regular school districts, using methodologies specified in the bill; and appropriate another $5 million for pilot academic programs that meet the guidelines established by a National Association for Gifted Children.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165400
House Bill 5867: Exclude motorized wheelchairs from definition of “vehicle”
Introduced by Rep. Martin Howrylak (R) on September 30, 2014, to exclude motorized wheelchairs and other power-driven mobility devices used by disabled individuals from the definition of “vehicle” in laws that impose road taxes, regulations and insurance mandates on vehicle owners; and include disabled individuals using wheelchairs or other mobility devices in the definition of “pedestrians” in traffic safety laws.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165401
House Bill 5868: Establish library tax district consolidation measures
Introduced by Rep. Amanda Price (R) on September 30, 2014, to establish that if two municipalities are consolidated or annexed into one, and both have a district library that levies its own property tax millage and has its own board, the millage and governance structure of each district library would continue. Consolidation of the library districts (if any) would be at those districts’ discretion, and if they are merged, voters in the jurisdiction being transferred would have to approve the property tax imposed by the receiving library district.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165402
House Bill 5869: Revise rental lease detail
Introduced by Rep. Anthony Forlini (R) on September 30, 2014, to eliminate a prohibition on a rental lease having a provision allowing a party to waive the right to a jury trial in a lease dispute.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165412
House Bill 5870: Require consent or warrant for biometric device use
Introduced by Rep. Tom McMillin (R) on September 30, 2014, to prohibit using a handheld biometric device (facial or iris recognition technology) to identify any individual without the individual’s consent or a search warrant.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165413
House Bill 5871: Require warrant for illegal drug oral swab test
Introduced by Rep. Tom McMillin (R) on September 30, 2014, to prohibit law enforcement agents from using an “oral swab test” or saliva test to detect the presence of illegal drugs, without written consent or a search warrant.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165414
House Bill 5872: Repeal mandate on utilities to use “renewable” energy sources
Introduced by Rep. Tom McMillin (R) on September 30, 2014, to repeal the mandate imposed by a 2008 law that 10 percent of the electricity sold by utilities must come from “renewable” sources.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165415
House Bill 5873: Prohibit help wanted ads that restrict eligibility to employed applicants
Introduced by Rep. Collene Lamonte (D) on September 30, 2014, to authorize fines of $5,000 to $10,000 on employers for posting a help wanted ad suggesting that only currently employed individuals qualify.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165416
House Bill 5874: Authorize tax break for hiring an unemployed person
Introduced by Rep. Theresa Abed (D) on September 30, 2014, to authorize a $3,000 tax credit for employers with under 100 employees who hire a new full time worker who had been unemployed for 60 days or more, subject to various requirements and restrictions specified under the bill.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165417
House Bill 5875: Revise judicial candidate withdrawal deadline
Introduced by Rep. Bill LaVoy (D) on September 30, 2014, to establish that a candidate for judge who wants to withdraw must file notice at least 60 days before the election.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165418
House Bill 5876: Regulate prudent purchaser drug panels
Introduced by Rep. John Walsh (R) on September 30, 2014, to mandate that “prudent purchaser agreements” created by health insurance companies, HMOs, etc. to control drug costs, must allow customers to use any pharmacy willing to accept the same terms and conditions as pharmacies with whom the insurer has negotiated reimbursement arrangements. Violations of the extensive regulatory regime associated with this mandate would be punishable by up to four years in prison.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165419
House Bill 5877: Regulate prudent purchaser drug panels
Introduced by Rep. John Walsh (R) on September 30, 2014, to establish sentencing guidelines for violations of the pharmacy insurance benefit violations proposed by House Bill 5876.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165420
House Bill 5878: Revise film producer subsidy formula
Introduced by Rep. John Walsh (R) on September 30, 2014, to increase the percentage of film production personnel expenses used to calculate how much state subsidy money a particular producer may be granted. Under current law, up to $50 million in state tax revenues may be redistributed to film producers in the current fiscal year, with the amount going to particular projects based on a formula that includes these costs.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165421
House Bill 5879: Ban child care for more than 11 consecutive hours
Introduced by Rep. Robert Kosowski (D) on October 2, 2014, to prohibit a parent or guardian from leaving a child in the care of a child care center, group child care home, or family child care home for longer than 11 consecutive hours, unless the parent works longer than that.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165439
House Bill 5880: Expand use of county veterans service tax
Introduced by Rep. Adam Zemke (D) on October 2, 2014, to allow counties that levy a veterans services property tax to use revenue from the tax to cover administration costs.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165440
House Bill 5881: Revise definition of “veteran”
Introduced by Rep. Adam Zemke (D) on October 2, 2014, to clarify the definition of “veteran” for purposes of state laws that relate to veterans.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165441
House Bill 5882: Mandate health care providers report death of pregnant woman
Introduced by Rep. George T. Darany (D) on October 2, 2014, to require physicians and health care facility managers who are present at or aware of the death of a woman who was pregnant at the time of her death or within one year before her death to report this to the state.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165442
House Bill 5883: Ban adding lanes to some Wayne County freeways
Introduced by Rep. Jim Townsend (D) on October 2, 2014, to prohibit adding lanes to certain Wayne County freeways.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165443
House Bill 5884: Revise salvage vehicle inspection certification detail
Introduced by Rep. Jim Townsend (D) on October 2, 2014, to establish a process for appealing the suspension, revocation, or denial of a salvage vehicle inspection certification.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165444
House Bill 5885: Mandate landlords tell tenant about insurance
Introduced by Rep. Jeff Irwin (D) on October 2, 2014, to require landlords to give written notice that a tenant’s property is not covered by the landlord’s insurance.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165445
House Bill 5886: Add windmills to farm operations lawsuit preemption law
Introduced by Rep. Jeff Irwin (D) on October 2, 2014, to include operation of “wind energy conversion systems” (windmills or turbines) in a “right to farm” law that preempts “nuisance” lawsuits on the basis of farm operations that conform with generally accepted agricultural and management practices as defined by a state commission, or nuisance suits against a farm that existed before changes in land use or occupancy within a mile of the farm, with some exceptions.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165446
House Bill 5887: Establish “regulatory agency demilitarization act”
Introduced by Rep. Tom McMillin (R) on October 2, 2014, to prohibit a federal regulatory agency employee from carrying a firearm in Michigan in the course of his or her job, with violations subject to five years in prison and a $2,500 fine. The bill authorizes the State Police to provide assistance to a federal regulatory agency in an emergency if requested. Federal law enforcement agencies would be exempt from the restriction, and their personnel could still carry firearms in the state.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165447
House Bill 5888: Establish a “regulatory agency demilitarization act”
Introduced by Rep. Tom McMillin (R) on October 2, 2014, to establish sentencing guidelines for violations of the “regulatory agency demilitarization act” proposed by House Bill 5887.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165448
Senate Bill 93: Designate I-375 as “First Michigan Colored Infantry Regiment Memorial Highway”
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on November 6, 2014, to designate a portion of I-375 in Wayne County as the “First Michigan Colored Infantry Regiment Memorial Highway”.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=696939
Senate Bill 637: Establish drunk driver vehicle interlock device regulatory regime
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on November 6, 2014, to establish regulations, procedures and fees for drunk driver vehicle interlock device installers, and give the Secretary of State the authority to oversee these programs. Current law regulates manufacturers and vendors of these devices but not installation.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=696934
Senate Bill 638: Establish drunk driver vehicle interlock device regulatory regime
Passed 34 to 0 in the Senate on November 6, 2014, to establish sentencing guidelines for violations of the regulatory regime proposed by Senate Bill 637 for drunk driver vehicle interlock device vendors and installers.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=696935
Senate Bill 639: Establish drunk driver vehicle interlock device regulatory regime
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on November 6, 2014, to revise references in the state law regulating vehicle repair and service providers, to reflect the regulatory regime proposed by Senate Bill 637 for drunk driver vehicle interlock device vendors and installers.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=696936
Senate Bill 1022: Redesignate a bridge
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on November 6, 2014, to redesignate the M-64 bridge over the Ontonagon river in Ontonagon as the “Ontonagon County Veterans Memorial Bridge”.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=696941
Senate Bill 1033: Clarify ”direct primary care” and “concierge medicine” are not “insurance”
Passed 26 to 11 in the Senate on November 6, 2014, to establish that fixed-fee medical retainer agreements between a physician and a potential patient covering routine health care services are not considered “insurance” subject to the extensive regulatory regime imposed on conventional health insurance policies. This could presumably apply to ”direct primary care” agreements, “concierge medicine” and similar innovations.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=696937
Senate Bill 1055: Repeal mandate that state printing be done in Michigan print shops
Passed 24 to 13 in the Senate on November 6, 2014, to repeal a requirement that all state-funded printing must be done by Michigan print shops. The bill appears to leave in effect a “prevailing wage” mandate on state-funded printing, which prohibits granting the lowest bid to a shop unless its employees are paid the equivalent of local union wages.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=696933
Senate Bill 1082
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on November 6, 2014, to allow county drain authorities to remove obstructions from a watercourse that is not an existing drain, after an inspection and with the approval of landowners, if the obstruction were causing problems such as flooding, excessive erosion, etc. This refers to the extensive networks of “drains” (ditches, culverts and more) that remove surplus water from land, the creation of which allowed a large proportion of this state to be farmed and developed.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=696938
Senate Bill 1099: Redesignate a highway
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on November 6, 2014, to designate a portion of Highway M-6 in Kent county as the “David Warsen Memorial Highway”.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=696940
Senate Bill 1112: Mandate employers grant certain employee shift change requests
Introduced by Sen. Jim Ananich (D) on October 22, 2014, to mandate that, unless prevented by a “bona fide business reason,” employers must grant an employee’s request for a change in the terms and conditions of employment, including shifts, schedules and hours, if the request is based on a serious health condition, or the employee’s “responsibilities as a caregiver,” or enrollment in a career-related educational or training program, or (for part timers) to accommodate second job. If an employee’s request is not based on these factors and is rejected, the bill would mandate that employers give a written explanation. It would also impose additional pay and minimum hour mandates on employers in the retail, food service, or cleaning service sectors.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165491
Senate Bill 1131: Increase penalties for illegal hydrocodone drugs
Introduced by Sen. Rick Jones (R) on November 6, 2014, to extend the more stringent penalties for “schedule 2” illegal drugs to certain hydrocodone combination products.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165511
Senate Bill 1132: Accelerate political appointee pension vesting
Introduced by Sen. Roger Kahn (R) on November 6, 2014, to permit gubernatorial or legislative political appointees appointed starting in 2015, who are or were state employees eligible for benefits under the state’s defined benefit pension system (now closed), to become fully “vested” after two years in the employer contributions made on their behalf as appointees, rather than the four years that would be required under current law.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165512
Senate Bill 1133: Expand college license plates
Introduced by Sen. Mark Jansen (R) on November 6, 2014, to authorize creating a specialty fund-raising license plate for all Michigan private colleges.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165513
Senate Bill 1134: Explicitly authorize health care worker car seat advice
Introduced by Sen. Judy Emmons (R) on November 6, 2014, to establish in statute that an employee of a health facility or agency may inform a patient or visitor that a child safety seat installed in his or her vehicle is not properly installed, and refer the individual described to an inspection program or certified technician.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165514
Senate Bill 1135: Impose new child car seat mandates
Introduced by Sen. John Proos, IV (R) on November 6, 2014, to require a child who weighs less than 30 pounds to be transported in a rear-facing child seat; and a child who weighs from 30 to 50 pound to transported in a forward-facing child seat. A child less than 57 inches tall would have to be transported in a booster seat.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165515
Senate Bill 1136: Revise 36th district court pension underfunding surcharge
Introduced by Sen. Tonya Schuitmaker (R) on November 6, 2014, to establish that when all the liabilities represented by the (underfunded) pension benefits owed to 36th court district bailiffs (the former Detroit “Recorders Court”) have been extinguished, revenue from a $1 surcharge tacked on to certain court fees to cover these liabilities would be distributed to the court.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165516
Senate Bill 1137: Require Hepatitis C tests on new prisoners
Introduced by Sen. Roger Kahn (R) on November 6, 2014, to require that prisoner entering a correctional facility must be tested for Hepatitis C.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165517
Senate Bill 1138: Revise pawn shop fee detail
Introduced by Sen. Randy Richardville (R) on November 6, 2014, to allow a pawn shop to charge a 20 percent fee to a person who uses a pawned item during the period when it is considered security for a loan. Under current law a pawn shop may only charge a $1 fee per month.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165518
House Bill 5035: Require certain community college admissions practices
Passed 106 to 0 in the House on October 6, 2014, to require community college admissions forms to ask if the applicant is a veteran or active military member, or the spouse or dependent of one, for purposes of granting potential government subsidies.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=696977
House Bill 5036: Require certain community college admissions practices
Passed 106 to 0 in the House on October 6, 2014, to require community colleges to inform applicants that they may receive credit for college-level training and education received in the military, and require them to accept a “joint services transcript” prepared under “American Council On Education Registry of Credit” recommendations..
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=696978
House Bill 5751: Establish that military experience meets boiler installer licensure requirements
Passed 106 to 0 in the House on October 6, 2014, to establish that having recent and relevant military training and experience meets the criteria for obtaining the state license mandated to earn a living as a boiler installer, boiler repairer or boiler special inspector.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=696979
House Bill 5794: Correct error in foreclosure law revision
Passed 106 to 0 in the House on October 6, 2014, to correct an error in a law enacted earlier in 2014 that revised details of the right of a foreclosure auction property buyer to monitor the property during the post-auction redemption period (during which a delinquent borrower can pay the loan in full to redeem the property). In one provision of that bill it referred to the “mortgagor” when it meant the purchaser.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=696980
House Bill 5795: Revise mortgage foreclosure detail
Passed 106 to 0 in the House on October 6, 2014, to revise the law that permits a delinquent home borrower (mortgagor) to redeem the property for six months after a foreclosure auction by paying the loan in full. The bill would require the mortgagor to record his or her interest at the register of deeds office to be eligible to exercise the right of redemption.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=696982
House Bill 5889: Restrict privatization of state services
Introduced by Rep. Pam Faris (D) on October 6, 2014, to prohibit the privatization of government services unless an agency conducts a pre-privatization cost-benefit analysis and submits it to the legislature, and unless current government employees are given an opportunity to bid on the privatized service. This is part of a Democratic privatization restrictions package comprised of House Bills 5889 to 5895.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165521
House Bill 5890: Restrict privatization of state services
Introduced by Rep. Marcia Hovey-Wright (D) on October 6, 2014, to prohibit the privatization of state government services unless an agency conducts a privatization “impact analysis” showing the potential effects on welfare and social service programs, employment, businesses and the natural environment in an affected local area and statewide. This is part of a Democratic privatization restrictions package comprised of House Bills 5889 to 5895.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165522
House Bill 5891: Restrict privatization of state services
Introduced by Rep. John Kivela (D) on October 6, 2014, to require state procurement contracts for services to include specific performance criteria and cost parameters, and permit the relevant state agency to cancel the contract if these are not met, or if the contractor does not meet all applicable state and federal regulations. This is part of a Democratic privatization restrictions package comprised of House Bills 5889 to 5895.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165523
House Bill 5892: Restrict privatization of state services
Introduced by Rep. Andrew Kandrevas (D) on October 6, 2014, to require state agency contracts for services that exceed $500,000 in any year to include a provision requiring the vendor to turn over all related financial, operational, and accounting records, and for these to be posted online. This is part of a Democratic privatization restrictions package comprised of House Bills 5889 to 5895.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165524
House Bill 5893: Restrict privatization of state services
Introduced by Rep. Fred Durhal, Jr. (D) on October 6, 2014, to require the state Department of Management and Budget to post online the number of full- and part-time jobs and the wage rate for jobs that are maintained or created with state money. This is part of a Democratic privatization restrictions package comprised of House Bills 5889 to 5895.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165525
House Bill 5894: Restrict privatization of state services
Introduced by Rep. Woodrow Stanley (D) on October 6, 2014, to prohibit automatic renewals of state service contracts. Agencies would have to perform cost-benefit analyses of the contract and not renew it if the expected savings or services were not realized. This is part of a Democratic privatization restrictions package comprised of House Bills 5889 to 5895.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165526
House Bill 5895: Restrict privatization of state services
Introduced by Rep. Sam Singh (D) on October 6, 2014, to require vendors who want to bid on state service contracts to submit a sworn statement that the vendor is in compliance with all local, state, and federal laws and regulations, and allow an agency to cancel the contract if a vendor is in violation of this requirement. This is part of a Democratic privatization restrictions package comprised of House Bills 5889 to 5895.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165527
House Bill 5896: Ban apartment complex “cable monopoly”
Introduced by Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D) on October 6, 2014, to prohibit apartment owners from only allowing a single cable TV provider, and from not allowing providers of “master antenna,” dish or other platforms to install different service for a particular dwelling unit, subject to reasonable health, safety, convenience, workmanship and other standards.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165528
House Bill 5897: Ban apartment complex “cable monopoly”
Introduced by Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D) on October 6, 2014, to revise a law that requires state agencies to provide relocation assistance and advisory services to persons displaced by the agency’s activities, so as to clarify that it does not apply to matters covered by the cable access requirements proposed by House Bill 5895.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165529
House Bill 5898: Authorize local sand and gravel extraction bans
Introduced by Rep. Gretchen Driskell (D) on October 6, 2014, to allow a local government to ban extracting sand or gravel from a property owner’s land, if it has designated other areas within its jurisdiction this activity is feasible and reasonable, or it has deemed extraction to be not feasible or reasonable anywhere in its jurisdiction, based on factors specified in the bill.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165530
House Bill 5899: Revise mortgage detail for veterans
Introduced by Rep. Mike Shirkey (R) on October 6, 2014, to prohibit lenders from requiring a property tax escrow account for mortgages on property owned by a disabled veteran, which is exempt from property tax.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165531
House Bill 5900: Authorize more college scholarship spending
Introduced by Rep. Sam Singh (D) on October 6, 2014, to appropriate $2.1 million for certain means-tested college scholarships.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165532
House Bill 5901: Authorize more college scholarship spending
Introduced by Rep. Sam Singh (D) on October 6, 2014, to appropriate $2.7 million for certain college scholarships to part students who are not claimed as a dependent of another taxpayer.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165533
House Bill 5902: Prefer “low impact developments” in state infrastructure subsidies
Introduced by Rep. Jim Townsend (D) on October 6, 2014, to give preference in granting state support for local storm water treatment projects to “low-impact land developments” designed to “mimic a site’s presettlement hydrology without exacerbating downstream flooding or stream channel instability by using spatially distributed, decentralized, small scale controls that infiltrate, filter, store, evaporate, and detain storm water” close to its source.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165534
House Bill 5903: Condition revenue sharing on local civil forfeiture disclosure
Introduced by Rep. Tom McMillin (R) on October 6, 2014, to repeal the best practices “incentives” grants by which a portion of the current year’s state revenue sharing to local governments is allocated, but only if House Bill 5250 becomes law, which would require law enforcement agencies to file monthly reports disclosing details of criminal asset forfeiture proceedings. Presumably the intention is to add compliance with the proposed disclosure requirements to the conditions on locals getting this state “incentive” money.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165535
House Bill 5904: Authorize high school “STEM” diploma
Introduced by Rep. Amanda Price (R) on October 6, 2014, to authorize granting a high school diploma “endorsement” to a student who completes a specified number of science, technology, engineering, and math courses (STEM).
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165536
House Bill 5905: Authorize high school “STEM” diploma
Introduced by Rep. Amanda Price (R) on October 6, 2014, to require the state Department of Education to “issue and transmit” a high school diploma “endorsement” for a student who completes the science, technology, engineering, and math courses (STEM) specified in House Bill 5904.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165537
House Bill 5906: Revise teaching certificate details
Introduced by Rep. Bill Rogers (R) on October 6, 2014, to eliminate certain specific teaching certificate requirements and provisions from statute, and instead give the state superintendent of public instruction more discretion in establishing these details.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165538
House Bill 5907: Permit closed county commission caucus meetings
Introduced by Rep. Hugh Crawford (R) on October 6, 2014, to revise the state Open Meetings Act to permit county commission partisan caucuses to hold closed sessions that would otherwise be in violation of the law’s open session requirements, even if a caucus is comprised of a majority of the commission.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165539
House Bill 5908: Revise bus inspections
Introduced by Rep. Tim Kelly (R) on October 6, 2014, to revise a number of details in a state inspection and regulatory regime imposed on buses and limousines (which are primarily van services).
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165540
House Bill 5909: Revise bus inspections
Introduced by Rep. Robert Kosowski (D) on October 6, 2014, to revise references in the “metropolitan transportation authorities act” to reflect changes in bus inspection and other regulations proposed by House Bill 5908.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165541
House Bill 5910: Revise bus inspections
Introduced by Rep. Peter Pettalia (R) on October 6, 2014, to revise references in the “regional transit authority act” to reflect changes in bus inspection and other regulations proposed by House Bill 5908.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165542
House Bill 5911: Revise bus inspections
Introduced by Rep. Ray Franz (R) on October 6, 2014, to revise references in the “motor carrier fuel tax” to reflect changes in bus inspection and other regulations proposed by House Bill 5908.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165543
House Bill 5912: Revise bus inspections
Introduced by Rep. Dan Lauwers (R) on October 6, 2014, to revise references in the “pupil transportation act” to reflect changes in bus inspection and other regulations proposed by House Bill 5908.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165544
House Bill 5913: Revise bus inspections
Introduced by Rep. John Kivela (D) on October 6, 2014, to revise references in a law authorizing fingerprinting and background checks on transit service employees, to reflect changes in bus inspection and other regulations proposed by House Bill 5908.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165545
House Bill 5914: Revise bus inspections
Introduced by Rep. Scott Dianda (D) on October 6, 2014, to revise references in the “motor carrier safety act” to reflect changes in bus inspection and other regulations proposed by House Bill 5908.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165546
House Bill 5915: Democratic charter school regulation package
Introduced by Rep. Ellen Lipton (D) on October 6, 2014, to require charter schools to post online the audited financial statements provided by their educational management organization, and require charter school authorizers to post a detailed, itemized accounting of all fees, reimbursements, charges and expenditures.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165547
House Bill 5916: Democratic charter school regulation package
Introduced by Rep. Sarah Roberts (D) on October 6, 2014, to require charter schools to post online an audited financial statement provided by their educational management organization that itemizes all expenditures, and also a description of all fringe benefits provided to a management organization employee, officer or board member whose annual salary exceeds $100,000.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165548
House Bill 5917: Democratic charter school regulation package
Introduced by Rep. Jeff Irwin (D) on October 6, 2014, to prohibit authorizing a new charter school as a successor to a charter school that is operating one of the state’s lowest performing schools.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165549
House Bill 5918: Democratic charter school regulation package
Introduced by Rep. David Nathan (D) on October 6, 2014, to require charter school authorizing bodies (primarily state universities) to submit annual reports on the status of charter schools they have authorized in meeting their contractual requirements. If the state determines that a school was not in compliance with its contract, the authorizing body would have to return to the state the fees it has collected as reimbursements for its authorizing and supervision expenses.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165550
House Bill 5919: Eliminate duped ballot petition signature penalty
Introduced by Rep. Jeff Irwin (D) on October 6, 2014, to revise the process for counting duplicate ballot initiative and candidate ballot access petition signatures, so that if a person signs twice, only one of the signatures would be eliminated, not both as under current law. Also, to allow voters to sign candidate ballot access petitions for multiple candidates for the same office.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165551
House Bill 5920: Ban state subsidies in corporate “inversions”
Introduced by Rep. Andy Schor (D) on October 6, 2014, to prohibit giving state subsidies or tax breaks to companies that have relocated their headquarters to a foreign country to avoid paying U.S. corporate tax rates on earnings generated by operations outside the U.S. (a practice called corporate “inversions”). The U.S. corporate tax rate is reportedly the highest among the 34 most economically advanced countries. U.S. companies that “repatriate” earnings from operations in another country pay the difference between that country’s rate and the higher U.S. rate, even though the firm’s competitors in the other country only pay that country’s taxes.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165552
House Bill 5921: Ban “photo-cop” traffic tickets
Introduced by Rep. Mike Shirkey (R) on October 6, 2014, to prohibit the use of automated, unmanned traffic monitoring devices (”photo-cops”) for issuing traffic law tickets. A Michigan driver who was issued an automated ticket in another state would not get “points” on his or her license. See also House Bill 4763 and Senate Bills 1045 and 1063, which would permit local governments to use “photo-cop” systems to enforce traffic laws and collect revenue.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165553
House Bill 5922: Let local governments put pension fund money in “small businesses”
Introduced by Rep. Nancy Jenkins (R) on October 6, 2014, to increase the amount that local government pension systems of a specified size can invest in “small businesses”.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165554
House Bill 5923: Mandate consumer opt-out of online database
Introduced by Rep. Sean McCann (D) on October 6, 2014, to mandate that, except for banks, the owner or licenser of data included in an online database must conspicuously post an “opt-out” notice on the webpage that provides instructions for a consumer to demand that his or her personal identifying information not be shared or sold to a third party. The bill amends an identity theft law, and would also prohibit database owners from charging a person to view his or her personal information or have it removed.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165555
House Bill 5924: Withhold city income tax from lottery winnings
Introduced by Rep. Kevin Daley (R) on October 6, 2014, to withhold city income tax from lottery winnings, and send the money directly to the city to which a winner might owe taxes.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165556
House Bill 5925: Authorize exception to ban on federal health care law abortion subsidies
Introduced by Rep. Marcia Hovey-Wright (D) on October 6, 2014, to allow health insurance companies to include coverage that pays for an abortion “to protect the mother’s health” in policies sold in Michigan through the federal health care law’s “exchange.” Under voter-initiated legislation enacted in 2013, insurers are prohibited from including abortion coverage in policies sold through the exchange, but may sell a policy “rider” for abortion coverage, for which individuals must pay themselves with no federal subsidy. The bill does not define “protect the mother’s health;” current law provides an exception allowing exchange policies to reimburse the cost of an abortion performed “to avert her death”.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165557
House Bill 5926: Authorize exception to ban on federal health care law abortion subsidies
Introduced by Rep. Gretchen Driskell (D) on October 6, 2014, to allow health insurance companies to include coverage that pays for an abortion “if the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest” in policies sold in Michigan through the federal health care law’s “exchange.” Under voter-initiated legislation enacted in 2013, insurers are prohibited from including abortion coverage in policies sold through the exchange, but may sell a policy “rider” for abortion coverage, for which individuals must pay themselves with no federal subsidy.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165558
House Bill 5927: Cut Detroit airport parking tax
Introduced by Rep. Jeff Farrington (R) on October 6, 2014, to cut the Detroit Metro Airport parking tax rate from 27 percent to 17 percent. Also, to shift a portion of the revenue from this tax that currently goes to low income health care subsidies, instead earmarking it to public transportation (bus) system subsidies.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165559
House Bill 5928: Create incarceration and sentencing study panel
Introduced by Rep. Joseph Haveman (R) on October 6, 2014, to create a 15-member Criminal Justice Policy Commission to gather and analyze data on the effects of a number of criminal sentencing, incarceration and release practices and procedures.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165560
House Bill 5929: Revise “community corrections programs”
Introduced by Rep. Joseph Haveman (R) on October 6, 2014, to make technical revisions to “community corrections programs” created as alternatives to jail and prison, so as to reflect changes in the sentencing guidelines and other corrections-related statutes.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165561
House Bill 5930: Revise sanctions for probation violations
Introduced by Rep. Joseph Haveman (R) on October 6, 2014, to revise the sanctions imposed for a violation of probation conditions, basing penalties on a variety of factors including the offender’s prior record, the severity of the infraction, the number of times probation conditions had been violated and more.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165562
House Bill 5931: Revise sanctions for parole violations
Introduced by Rep. Joseph Haveman (R) on October 6, 2014, to make a number of changes to criminal parole practices and procedures. Among these are reserving revocation of parole for more serious parole violations, requiring a prisoner to be paroled upon completion of the court-imposed minimum sentence, and for prisoners sentenced after the bill goes into effect, requiring prisoners denied parole upon completion of their minimum sentence to be paroled at least nine months before the end of their maximum sentence, to ensure a period of supervision in the community.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165563
House Bill 5932: Revise life insurance detail
Introduced by Rep. Pete Lund (R) on October 6, 2014, to revise life insurance regulations to use a principle-based method to calculate the amount of reserves needed to cover future benefits.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165564