Capitol Recap for the Week of March 3, 2014

In order to keep you and your neighbors better informed about the legislation we discuss, I am posting the agenda for any scheduled committee meetings at the beginning of the week and an update with any votes that were taken that week in committee or on the House floor. I hope you find this information helpful and please do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of further assistance.

March 4-6, 2014: House Votes

For votes of the full legislature, I will include a summary of each bill with the sponsor, the vote totals and the next step in the legislative process for the bill. If you would like to read more information about a given bill you can head to www.legislature.mi.gov.

Allowing Municipalities to Enter into Agreements with the Treasurer of a County for Tax Collection Purposes

HB 5160 – (Rep. Price) – Passed: 109-0

Next: Sent to Senate for consideration

HB 5160 specifically allows a city, village, or township to enter into agreements with the treasurer of a county in which it is located to have the county treasurer administer some or all of the municipality’s tax collection functions.

FY 2013-2014 Supplemental for Healthy Michigan

SB 608 – (Sen. Kahn) – Passed: 65-44

Next: Sent to Senate for reconsideration

SB 608 is a multi-department supplemental that predominantly makes necessary changes associated with the delay in implementation of Healthy Michigan (Medicaid Expansion) and provides funding for necessary road projects, among other changes. The supplemental reduces gross appropriations by a total of $130,178,100, and increases GF/GP funding by $193,401,500.

Clarification of the Creation of Separate Legal Entities May be Created by Interlocal Agreements

SB 437 – (Sen. Nofs) – Passed: 108-2

Next: Sent to governor for signature

SB 437 clarifies under what circumstances separate legal entities may be created by interlocal agreements. The separate legal entity may be created only if the interlocal agreement expressly provides for its creation. The bill also deletes references to an “administrative” entity throughout.

Removal of References to “Mentally Retarded” from State Laws

HB 5345 – (Rep. Lori) – Passed: 110-0

HB 5346 – (Rep. Cavanagh) – Passed: 110-0

HB 5347 – (Rep. Haines) – Passed: 110-0

HB 5348 – (Rep. Leonard) – Passed: 110-0

HB 5349 – (Rep. Cotter) – Passed: 110-0

HB 5350 – (Rep. Cochran) – Passed: 110-0

HB 5351 – (Rep. Knezek) – Passed: 110-0

HB 5352 – (Rep. Somerville) – Passed: 110-0

The bills remove references to “mentally retarted” and replace the term with “developmentally disabled” or “intellectually disabled”.

Requiring the Development of a Uniform Medical Release Form

HB 5136 – (Rep. Lori) – Passed: 110-0

Next: Sent to Senate for consideration

HB 5136 amends the Mental Health Code to require the Department of Community Health to develop a uniform medical release form.

Fiscal Year 2013-2014 School Aid Supplemental

HB 4295 – (Rep. Haveman) – Passed: 107-3

HB 4295 is a FY 13-14 school aid supplemental, predominantly making necessary cost adjustments associated with pupil counts, special education costs, and taxable value changes. However, the bill also makes grants for dissolved district transitions as well as provides for a contract for health and nutrition education software. The gross appropriations is a $46,612,500 reduction from current year-to-date appropriations.

Extension of Sales and Use Tax Exemptions for the Cobo Center in Detroit

SB 711 – (Rep. Marleau) – Passed: 100-10

SB 735 – (Rep. Marleau) – Passed: 100-10

Next: Sent to governor for signature

SBs 711 and 735 extend, respectively, sales and use tax exemptions related to tangible personal property used in the construction or renovation of the Cobo Center in Detroit. Under current law, these exemptions expired on December 31, 2013. The bills extend the sunset for these exemptions to December 31, 2015.

Allowing a Purchaser of a Property at a Sheriff’s Sale to Periodically Inspect the Property during the Redemption Period

HB 5277 – (Rep. Callton) – Passed: 107-3

Next: Sent to Senate for consideration

House Bill 5277 would amend Public Act 104 of 2013, which allowed the purchaser of a property at a sheriff’s sale to periodically inspect the property during the redemption period and to sue for possession if the homeowner damaged the property, to provide for an unlimited amount of exterior inspections, an initial interior inspection and to allow the purchaser to request that the mortgagor provide information on or evidence of the condition of the interior of the property (which could take the place of subsequent interior inspections if certain conditions are met). The bill caps the number of information requests (unless certain conditions exist), requires information to be sent to the mortgagor, including the contact information of the purchaser, and includes notice requirements. The bill repeal certain provisions on the act and creates rebuttal presumptions as to when the mortgagor is and is not liable for damage.

Week of March 3, 2014: Committee Meetings

For each bill considered I will include the vote total or write “testimony only” if no vote was taken. Due to the complexity of certain issues, some bills receive multiple committee hearings before being put to a vote. If you would like to read further analysis of a bill you can access that at www.legislature.mi.gov.

If you would like to read the minutes from a particular hearing or testimony on a bill, you can access that by going to http://house.mi.gov/MHRPublic/committee.aspx and selecting the relevant committee from the dropdown menu.

Appropriations Subcommittee on Community Health

Agenda:

Public Testimony – Executive Budget Recommendation for FY 2014-15 on Behavioral Health Services and Medical Services

Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture and Rural Development

Agenda:

Presentations on Economic and Rural Development, Strategic Growth Initiative, and Agricultural Exports

Regulatory Reform

Agenda:

SB 504 – (Sen. Hune) – Liquor; other; administration of the liquor control code; clarify.

Reported from committee by a 13-0-1 vote

SB 505 – (Sen. Hune) – Liquor; other; prohibition of aiding or assisting other vendors; modify.

Reported from committee by a 12-0-1 vote

SB 506 – (Sen. Hune) – Liquor; tax; collection and payment of the beer tax; clarify.

Reported from committee by a 12-0-1 vote

SB 507 – (Sen. Hune) – Liquor; tax; method for collection and payment of wine and mixed spirit drink tax; provide for.

Reported from committee by a 13-0-1 vote

SB 650 – (Sen. Hune) – Liquor; distribution; distribution of beer produced by certain micro brewers to a retailer; allow.

Reported from committee by a 14-0 vote

SB 329 – (Sen. Hildenbrand) – Liquor; other; provision regarding the acquisition, sale, development, or operation of real property to another vendor by a brewer; expand to include wine maker, distiller, or brandy manufacturer and limit the number of real properties.

Reported from committee by a 13-0-1 vote

HB 5284 – (Rep. Lane) – Occupations; residential builders; relicensing of certain formerly licensed residential builders and residential maintenance and alteration contractors; expand authority of board.

Reported from committee by a 13-0 vote

Appropriations: Subcommittee on General Government

Agenda:

Testimony on Proposed FY 2014-15 budgets:

Michigan Economic Development Corporation/Michigan Strategic Fund
Michigan State Housing Development Authority
Michigan Land Bank

Energy and Technology

Agenda:

HB 5282 – (Rep. Pscholka) – Crimes; other; right to use force when providing security at a nuclear generating facility; clarify.

Reported from committee by a 19-1-1 vote

Health Policy

Agenda:

HB 5345 – (Rep. Lori) – Crime victims; other; reference to mentally retarded and mental retardation; modify.