Senate Bill 103: Reduce “student growth” portion of teacher rating criteria
Passed 97 to 8 in the House on October 15, 2015, To base just 20 percent of a teacher’s “effectiveness” rating on actual progress of students in the teacher’s classroom as measured by state assessments, instead of as much as 50 percent suggested by a 2011 teacher tenure reform law. Also, to let school districts develop their own evaluation tools for other parts of the rating rather than ones prescribed by the state. A school would be prohibited from assigning students to a class in the same subject for two years in a row taught by a teacher rated “ineffective” in that subject, but new students could still be assigned to that teacher..
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=718018
Senate Bill 309: Revise condominium subdivision details
Passed 104 to 1 in the House on October 15, 2015, to revise details of the signatures and cover sheet contents that are required for a condominium subdivision survey plan, so that among other things they reflect mandates imposed by the state licensure law that covers architects and engineers.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=718026
Senate Bill 334: Revise child abuse reporting mandate
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on October 15, 2015, to revise the law that requires certain health care professionals, social workers and other designated professionals to report suspected child abuse, so that a report filed via an online reporting system the bill would authorize would complete the duty to report.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=717977
Senate Bill 446: Extend authority to ban deer feeding
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on October 15, 2015, to extend until 2020 the sunset on Department of Natural Resources authority to prohibit feeding deer and elk.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=717976
Senate Bill 531: Authorize electronic court records system and fees
Passed 35 to 2 in the Senate on October 15, 2015, to authorize an electronic system for filing documents in civil cases in state courts, and fees to use and pay for it.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=717978
Senate Bill 532: Authorize electronic court records system
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on October 15, 2015, to create a state fund to hold the court case filing fee money authorized by Senate Bill 531.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=717979
Senate Bill 533: Authorize electronic court records system
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on October 15, 2015, to prohibit a court or court funding unit from charging a fee to retrieve and inspect a case document including those kept in the electronic filing system proposed by Senate Bill 531, but allow fees to copy a document.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=717980
House Bill 4263: Revise training detail for licensed athletic trainers
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on October 15, 2015, to mandate that licensed athletic trainers must successfully complete training that includes lessons on automated external defibrillator use, in addition to the current requirements for first aid and CPR lessons. The bill would also cut the license fee for trainers, and revise other details of this regulatory regime.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=717975
House Bill 4476: Restrict imposing mediation in domestic relations disputes
Passed 104 to 1 in the House on October 15, 2015, to prohibit a court from ordering the parties in a domestic relations dispute to enter mediation against either’s will if there is a personal protection or “no contact” order restraining one of them, or if either is involved in a child abuse or neglect proceeding.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=718020
House Bill 4477: Establish confidential “service of process” procedure
Passed 104 to 1 in the House on October 15, 2015, to establish alternative “service of process” procedures for appeals cases. This would provide a means for delivering legal notices to an individual whose address the court has prohibited from being disclosed. See also Senate Bill 257.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=718023
House Bill 4478: Authorize PPOs for threats against pets
Passed 96 to 9 in the House on October 15, 2015, to authorize courts to issue a personal protection order against an individual who threatens, harms or tries to take an animal in which the petitioner has an ownership interest, or who interferes with the petitioner’s efforts to remove the animal from premises the premises of individual to be restrained.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=718021
House Bill 4479: Create new crime of assaulting pregnant woman
Passed 103 to 2 in the House on October 15, 2015, to make assault and battery against a pregnant women a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment up to 93 days and a $500 fine, with higher penalties (up to five years) for those with prior convictions.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=718022
House Bill 4481: Revise rapist father parental rights detail
Passed 101 to 4 in the House on October 15, 2015, to revise a law that prohibits granting custody of a child to a person convicted of rape, by expanding the criteria to include sexual assault convictions in other states.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=718024
House Bill 4822: Ban “social promotions” for third graders who can’t read
Passed 57 to 48 in the House on October 15, 2015, to prohibit “social promotions” of third graders who have not reached minimum reading benchmarks, subject to many conditions and exceptions, and with requirements that additional “intervention” programs be created (including summer school) and individual tutoring provided before a student is actually held back. This would not take effect until the 2019-2020 school year.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=718015
Senate Bill 557: Revise local road funding “co-pays”
Introduced by Sen. Marty Knollenberg (R) on October 13, 2015, to eliminate a requirement that cities and villages bear a portion of the cost of opening, widening, and improving state trunk line highways.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=170417
Senate Bill 558: Eliminate dower rights
Introduced by Sen. Rick Jones (R) on October 13, 2015, to establish in statute that, upon the death of her husband, a wife’s dower right to a life estate in 1/3 of any land he owned during his lifetime is abolished and unenforceable. This would not limit or void any contractual or other legal rights the wife otherwise possesses or acquires during the marriage. The bill eliminates “dowry rights” from statute.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=170418
Senate Bill 559: Eliminate dower rights
Introduced by Sen. Rick Jones (R) on October 13, 2015, to establish in statute that, upon the death of her husband, a wife’s dower right to a life estate in 1/3 of any land he owned during his lifetime is abolished and unenforceable. This would not affect, limit, or void any contractual or other legal rights the wife otherwise possesses or acquires during the marriage. The bill eliminates “dowry rights” from statute.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=170419
Senate Bill 560: Eliminate dower rights
Introduced by Sen. Rick Jones (R) on October 13, 2015, to revise the state wills and estates law to reflect the provisions of Senate Bill 559, which would establish in statute that, upon the death of her husband, a wife’s dower right to a life estate in 1/3 of any land he owned during his lifetime is abolished and unenforceable. This would not affect, limit, or void any contractual or other legal rights the wife otherwise possesses or acquires during the marriage.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=170420
Senate Bill 562: Ban “sky lanterns”
Introduced by Sen. Kenneth Horn (R) on October 14, 2015, to define “sky lanterns” in the state fireworks law, which are miniature, candle-fired hot air balloons made of paper and sold as a novelty item, and which Senate Bill 563 would ban.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=170442
Senate Bill 563: Ban “sky lanterns”
Introduced by Sen. Dale W. Zorn (R) on October 14, 2015, to ban the use or sale of “sky lanterns,” which are miniature, candle-fired hot air balloons made of paper and sold as a novelty item.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=170443
Senate Bill 564: Criminalize selling aborted fetuses or body parts
Introduced by Sen. Phil Pavlov (R) on October 15, 2015, to make it a crime to receive a financial benefit or any type of compensation for an embryo, fetus or neonate, including organs, tissues, or cells, if this was obtained as the result of an elective abortion.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=170449
Senate Bill 565: Criminalize selling aborted fetuses or body parts
Introduced by Sen. Phil Pavlov (R) on October 15, 2015, to establish sentencing guidelines for the crime proposed by Senate Bill 564 of selling aborted fetuses or their body parts.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=170450
Senate Bill 566: Waive liability for damaging car to save sweltering child
Introduced by Sen. Marty Knollenberg (R) on October 15, 2015, to waive liability for damages caused by an individual who breaks into a locked car to rescue a child or animal he or she believes to be in danger, subject to limits and conditions specified in the bill.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=170451
Senate Bill 567: Repeal pre-Labor Day school start ban
Introduced by Sen. Marty Knollenberg (R) on October 15, 2015, to repeal a law that prohibits public schools from beginning their school year before Labor Day. Classes would still be prohibited on the Friday before Labor Day however.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=170452
Senate Bill 568: Authorize ex-POW motorcycle licenses
Introduced by Sen. Dale W. Zorn (R) on October 15, 2015, to revise a law that authorizes “ex-POW” license plates for former prisoners of war, so that it also applies to motorcycle plates.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=170453
House Bill 4967: Authorize Sojourner Truth specialty license plate
Introduced by Rep. John Bizon (R) on October 13, 2015, to authorize a Sojourner Truth specialty license plate, with the net revenue going to a Sojourner Truth museum.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=170422
House Bill 4968: Mandate colo-rectal exam insurance coverage
Introduced by Rep. Julie Plawecki (D) on October 13, 2015, to impose a new coverage mandate that would require health insurance policies to pay for colonoscopies and other exams for people age 50 and above.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=170423
House Bill 4969: Waive park “passport fees” for historic vehicles
Introduced by Rep. Charles Brunner (D) on October 13, 2015, to not charge the owner of a vehicle with a “historic vehicle” license plate for the state park “passport” that is an option when paying for annual license plate renewals.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=170424
House Bill 4970: Revise county veteran affairs board detail
Introduced by Rep. Sam Singh (D) on October 13, 2015, to establish that the board of a county department of veterans’ affairs have at least member from each “congressionally chartered veterans’ organization” within the county, and at least one board member who is not.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=170425
House Bill 4971: Allow electronic “proof of insurance”
Introduced by Rep. Peter Lucido (R) on October 13, 2015, to clarify details of a new law that allows allow “proof of insurance” documents motorists are required to have when driving to be an electronic communication from the insurance company visible on a mobile device.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=170426
House Bill 4972: Prohibit restricting certain communications to patients
Introduced by Rep. Vanessa Guerra (D) on October 13, 2015, to prohibit a government agency from requiring that a medical professional give a patient “information that is not medically accurate and appropriate,” or a medical service “in a manner that is not evidence-based.” Also, to prohibit agencies from prohibiting a medical professional from giving a patient “medically accurate information that is appropriate” or a “a medical service that is evidence-based and appropriate” for the patient.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=170427
House Bill 4973: Create new online child abuse offenders registry
Introduced by Rep. Sarah Roberts (D) on October 13, 2015, to create an online public registry of individuals convicted of child abuse crimes, similar to the existing sex offenders registry. The bill prescribes registration requirements, procedures, fees, penalties and more.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=170428
House Bill 4974: Create new online child abuse offenders registry
Introduced by Rep. Derek Miller (D) on October 13, 2015, to create an online public registry of individuals convicted of child abuse crimes, similar to the existing sex offenders registry. The bill prescribes registration requirements, procedures, fees, penalties and more.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=170429
House Bill 4975: Create new online child abuse offenders registry
Introduced by Rep. Vanessa Guerra (D) on October 13, 2015, to establish sentencing guideline for violations related to the public registry of individuals convicted of child abuse crimes that House Bill 4973 proposes.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=170430
House Bill 4976: Establish new foster child standards
Introduced by Rep. Marcia Hovey-Wright (D) on October 13, 2015, to require the Department of Human Services to develop and implement a “Children’s Assurance of Quality Foster Care Policy” intended to ensure that various practices and procedures specified in the bill are followed (these are described in this House Fiscal Agency bill summary. The bill is part of a legislative package comprised of House Bills 4976 to 4978.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=170431
House Bill 4977: Establish new foster child standards
Introduced by Rep. Jim Runestad (R) on October 13, 2015, to develop and implement a “Children’s Assurance of Quality Foster Care Policy” intended to ensure that various practices and procedures specified in the bill are followed (these are described in this House Fiscal Agency bill summary. The bill is part of a legislative package comprised of House Bills 4976 to 4978.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=170432
House Bill 4978: Establish new foster child standards
Introduced by Rep. George T. Darany (D) on October 13, 2015, to develop and implement a “Children’s Assurance of Quality Foster Care Policy” intended to ensure that various practices and procedures specified in the bill are followed (these are described in this House Fiscal Agency bill summary. The bill is part of a legislative package comprised of House Bills 4976 to 4978.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=170433
House Bill 4979: Establish drunk driver vehicle interlock device regulatory regime
Introduced by Rep. Klint Kesto (R) on October 13, 2015, to revise a state vehicle service and repair regulation law so it conforms with the proposal in House Bill 4981 to establish regulations, procedures and fees for drunk driver vehicle interlock device installers.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=170434
House Bill 4980: Establish drunk driver vehicle interlock device regulatory regime
Introduced by Rep. Klint Kesto (R) on October 13, 2015, to establish sentencing guidelines for violations of the regulatory regime proposed by House Bill 4981 for drunk driver vehicle interlock device vendors and installers.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=170435
House Bill 4981: Establish drunk driver vehicle interlock device regulatory regime
Introduced by Rep. Klint Kesto (R) on October 13, 2015, 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.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=170436
House Bill 4982: Revise unemployment insurance procedures
Introduced by Rep. Roger Victory (R) on October 13, 2015, to revise unemployment insurance employer assessment and employee claims, by prohibiting sanctions from being imposed on either side based on a “computer identified discrepancy” that no human being in the unemployment agency having has examined evidence of a willful or intentional violation.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=170437
House Bill 4983: Refine “free fishing day” detail
Introduced by Rep. Bruce Rendon (R) on October 13, 2015, to establish that on a day the Department of Natural Resource has “declared to be a free fishing day, or something to that effect,” a person does not need a vehicle registration “recreation passport” to use a state boat launch facility.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=170438
House Bill 4984: Apply regular delinquent property tax sanctions to land banks
Introduced by Rep. Tom Barrett (R) on October 13, 2015, to establish that the discounted “specific tax” levied on parcels owned by a government “land bank” authority instead of regular property taxes are subject to all the same that apply to delinquent property tax payment, including interest, penalties, foreclosures, etc.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=170439
House Bill 4985: Exempt agriculture water system from drinking water standards
Introduced by Rep. Ben Glardon (R) on October 13, 2015, to exempt from certain state drinking water regulations a waterworks system that provides water for agricultural purposes only, and is not intended for human consumption.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=170440
House Bill 4986: End daylight savings time; put whole state on Eastern time
Introduced by Rep. Peter Lucido (R) on October 14, 2015, to petition the U.S. Department of Education to allow Michigan to no longer participate in daylight savings time clock changes, and instead use Eastern Standard Time as the year-round time zone for the entire state. Note: The western Upper Peninsula along the Wisconsin border is on central time.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=170445
House Bill 4987: Require five year olds to enroll in full day kindergarten
Introduced by Rep. Charles Brunner (D) on October 14, 2015, to require all school districts to provide full-day kindergarten, and mandate that all children who turn five before Sept. 1 each year must enroll (subject to the same home- or private-school exceptions that apply to other grades). Note: Public school districts get more money from the state for full-day kindergarten programs, and how much particular districts get depends on how many students are enrolled. The bill would make kindergarteners fully part of that system.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=170446
House Bill 4988: Give ISDs money to identify “gifted and talented” students
Introduced by Rep. Sam Singh (D) on October 14, 2015, to require Intermediate School Districts to identify “gifted and talented” students according to detailed criteria specified in the bill, and appropriate $2.5 million to pay them for this. The bill would also establish as “the intent of the legislature” a proposal to spend another $5 million on pilot education programs for these students.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=170447
House Bill 4989: Elect state board of education members by region
Introduced by Rep. Edward McBroom (R) on October 14, 2015, to revise the process by which political parties select candidates for the state board of education, by requiring each party to select a candidate for each of eight geographic regions the bill specifies.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=170448
House Bill 4990: Expand local government “energy efficiency” financing schemes
Introduced by Rep. Al Pscholka (R) on October 15, 2015, to expand the things cities can spend money on under a scheme that lets them contract with vendors for energy efficiency projects and pay for them with money the projects are supposed to save (or from regular tax revenue if savings don’t appear). The bill would allow locals to spend on information technology and utility projects they assert are related to the energy saving scheme, and would also expand the types of deals they can make with vendors to include “lease-purchase” agreements described in the bill.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=170454
House Bill 4991: Expand local government “energy efficiency” financing schemes
Introduced by Rep. Al Pscholka (R) on October 15, 2015, to expand the things villages can spend money on under a scheme that lets them contract with vendors for energy efficiency projects and pay for them with money the projects are supposed to save (or from regular tax revenue if savings don’t appear). The bill would allow villages to spend on information technology and utility projects they assert are related to the energy saving scheme, and would also expand the types of deals they can make with vendors to include “lease-purchase” agreements described in the bill.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=170455
House Bill 4992: Expand local government “energy efficiency” financing schemes
Introduced by Rep. Al Pscholka (R) on October 15, 2015, to expand the things villages can spend money on under a scheme that lets them contract with vendors for energy efficiency projects and pay for them with money the projects are supposed to save (or from regular tax revenue if savings don’t appear). The bill would allow villages to spend in information technology and utility projects they assert are related to the energy saving scheme, and would also expand the types of deals they can make with vendors to include “lease-purchase” agreements described in the bill.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=170456
House Bill 4993: Expand local government “energy efficiency” financing schemes
Introduced by Rep. Al Pscholka (R) on October 15, 2015, to expand the things townships can spend money on under a scheme that lets them contract with vendors for energy efficiency projects and pay for them with money the projects are supposed to save (or from regular tax revenue if savings don’t appear). The bill would allow townships to spend on information technology and utility projects they assert are related to the energy saving scheme, and would also expand the types of deals they can make with vendors to include “lease-purchase” agreements described in the bill.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=170457
House Bill 4994: Expand local government “energy efficiency” financing schemes
Introduced by Rep. Al Pscholka (R) on October 15, 2015, to expand the things counties can spend money on under a scheme that lets them contract with vendors for energy efficiency projects and pay for them with money the projects are supposed to save (or from regular tax revenue if savings don’t appear). The bill would allow counties to spend in information technology and utility projects they assert are related to the energy saving scheme, and would also expand the types of deals they can make with vendors to include “lease-purchase” agreements described in the bill.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=170458
House Bill 4995: Include windshield damage in police accident reports
Introduced by Rep. Aaron Miller (R) on October 15, 2015, to require police accident reports to quantify the damage done to the windshields of the vehicles involved.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=170459
House Bill 4996: Revise vehicle window tinting law
Introduced by Rep. Aaron Miller (R) on October 15, 2015, to eliminate an exception from the law that restricts vehicle window tinting, for individuals who have a note from their doctor saying that they have a light sensitive or photosensitive problem.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=170460
House Bill 4997: Include GPS tinkering in texting-while-driving ban
Introduced by Rep. Peter Lucido (R) on October 15, 2015, to remove an exception from the state texting-while-driving law that permits handling a GPS unit or app while driving.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=170461
House Bill 4998: Increase penalties for serial texting-while-driving violators
Introduced by Rep. Peter Lucido (R) on October 15, 2015, to authorize more stringent sentencing guidelines for second and subsequent violations of a ban on texting while driving or related activities.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=170462