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.
February 11-13, 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.
Addition of Department of Human Services Employees to the List of Individuals that can Access Restricted Information
HB 5198 – (Rep. McCready) – Passed: 108-1
Next: Sent to Senate for consideration
HB 5198 adds Department of Human Services (DHS) employees involved in a disciplinary action to the list of individuals and groups that can access certain restricted information.
Allowing Property that has been affected by Natural Disasters to have the same Taxable Value
SB 396 – (Sen. Casperson) – Passed: 82-27
Next: Sent to governor for signature
SB 396 amends the General Property Tax Act to provide for the taxable value of property to remain essentially unchanged if the property were reconstructed in a similar fashion due to an accident or act of God; and specify that construction required to bring the property into code compliance would not increase its taxable value.
Allowing Jail Inmates to be released during the Day for Work, School, or Medical Treatment
SB 581 – (Sen. Jones) – Passed: 109-0
Next: Sent to governor for signature
SB 581 makes a technical amendment to Public Act 60 of 1962, which is a statute that allows jail inmates to be released during the day so that they may attend school, go to work, or seek medical treatment.
Allowing a Human Trafficking Victim to Apply for Expungements
HB 5025 – (Rep. Heise) – Passed: 109-0
Next: Sent to Senate for consideration
HB 5025 allows a human trafficking victim to apply for an expungement of certain offenses from his or her criminal record.
Elimination of Gender References in Certain Prostitution Statutes
HB 5231 – (Rep. Graves) – Passed: 109-0
HB 5232 – (Rep. Jenkins) – Passed: 107-2
Next: Sent to Senate for consideration
Together, these bills eliminate gender references in certain prostitution statutes and increase penalties for certain offenses.
Requiring Flags Used to Mark Graves of Veterans be American Made
SB 428 – (Sen. Kahn) – Passed: 101-9
Next: Sent to governor for signature
SB 428 requires that flags used to mark graves of military veterans be American made.
Reduction of the Severance Tax on Oil and Gas from “Enhanced Recovery Methods”
HB 4885 – (Sen. Nesbitt) – Passed: 85-25
Next: Sent to Senate for consideration
HB 4885 is a bill to reduce the severance tax on oil and gas produced by “enhanced recovery methods.”
Expansion of the Definition of “Pipeline”
HB 5254 – (Rep. Outman) – Passed: 93-17
Next: Sent to Senate for consideration
HB 5254 would expand the definition of “pipeline” to include pipelines carrying carbon dioxide gas for enhanced recovery operations (EOR).
Expansion of Condemnation Authority for Pipelines Carrying CO2
HB 5255 – (Rep. Stallworth) – Passed: 69-41
Next: Sent to Senate for consideration
HB 5255 would expand condemnation authority for pipelines carrying CO2 for the purposes of enhanced oil recovery.
Allowing Courts to Order Involuntary Treatment for Individuals who present an Imminent Danger
HB 4486 – (Rep. Walsh) – Passed: 102-8
Next: Sent to Senate for consideration
HB 4486 would allow courts, under certain circumstances, to order involuntary treatment for individuals who present an imminent danger or threat to themselves, family, or others as a result of a substance abuse disorder.
Addition of Carbon Dioxide and Enhanced Recovery Operation Terms
HB 5274 – (Rep. Pettalia) – Passed: 99-11
Next: Sent to Senate for consideration
HB 5274 is a bill to add the carbon dioxide and enhanced recovery operation terms found in House Bill 5254 to the rest of 1929 PA 16.
Prohibition of Mandatory Life in Prison without Parole Sentences for Juveniles
HB 4808 – (Rep. O’Brien) -Passed: 60-50
Staff: Coffiann Hawthorne (3-5154)
Next: Sent to governor for signature
HB 4808 amends several sections of the Michigan Penal Code to prohibit mandatory life in prison without parole (LWOP) sentences for juvenile offenders.
Week of Feb. 10, 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 Agriculture and Rural Development
Agenda:
House Fiscal presentation on FY 2014-15 Executive Recommendation
Appropriations Subcommittee on General Government
Agenda:
Testimony on proposed FY 2014-15 budgets from:
- Department of Attorney General
- Office of the Auditor General
- Department of Civil Rights
Regulatory Reform
Agenda:
SB 612 – (Sen. Hopgood) – Occupations; barbers; hours of education requirement; revise.
Testimony Only
Health Policy
Agenda:
HB 5136 – (Rep. Lori) – Mental health; other; uniform mental health release form; create
Testimony Only
Appropriations Subcommittee on School Aid
Agenda:
Overview of the FY 2014-15 Executive Budget Recommendation for School Aid
Transportation and Infrastructure
Agenda:
HB 4781 – (Rep. Jacobsen) – Traffic control; driver license; number of temporary instruction permits for motorcyclist; limit, and expand conditions for operation by a permitted motorcycle operator.
Reported favorably from committee 9-0-6
SB 263 – (Sen. Caswell) – Transportation; railroads; provision in state transportation preservation act of 1976 allowing for rail divestiture or leases to current operators of certain railroad properties; remove, and repeal other provisions.
Reported favorably from committee 9-0-6
SB 463 – (Sen. Caswell) – Vehicles; registration plates; required attachment of registration plate to rear of vehicle; eliminate requirement for certain historic military vehicles.
Reported favorably from committee 9-0-6
Appropriations Subcommittee on Education
Agenda:
Overview of the FY 2014-15 Executive Budget Recommendation for the Department of Education
Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation
Agenda:
Presentation by Kirk T. Steudle, Director, Michigan Department of Transportation on the FY 2014-15 State Transportation Budget
Elections and Ethics
Agenda:
HB 5152 – (Rep. Lyons) – Elections; petitions; signature, date of signing, and street address on a nominating petition; require elector to include, and prohibit the release of any part of a registered elector’s social security number.
Reported favorably from committee 9-0
HB 5222 – (Rep. Forlini) – Campaign finance; statements and reports; period when disclosure is required for issue ads; change to 60 days before all elections.
Reported favorably from committee 9-0
Oversight
Agenda:
Presentation: Office of Internal Audit Services, Corrective Action Plan Process
Testimony from the Department of Environmental Quality on the Performance Audit of the Office of Oil, Gas, and Minerals, September 2013
Testimony from the Department of Community Health on the performance audit of the Caro Center, Bureau of State Hospitals and Behavioral Health Administrative Operations, March 2013
Military and Veterans Affairs
Agenda:
HR 300 – (Rep. Graves) – A resolution to memorialize the Congress of the United States and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to take a stronger role in investigating and eliminating delays in veterans’ health care.
Reported favorably from committee 10-0
HB 5036 – (Rep. Rendon) – Higher education; community colleges; acceptance of an American council on education transcript; allow, and clarify transferable credits.
Testimony Only
Tax Policy
Agenda:
SB 629 – (Sen. Jones) – State financing and management; bonds; refund of certain building authority bonds; extend sunset.
Reported favorably from committee 11-0
SB 630 – (Sen. Jones) – Economic development; tax increment financing; refund of certain tax increment finance bonds; extend sunset.
Reported favorably from committee 11-0
HB 5265 – (Rep. Somerville) – Individual income tax; rate; rollback of rate; provide for.
Testimony Only
HB 5266 – (Rep. Kelly) – Individual income tax; rate; rollback of rate; provide for.
Testimony Only
HB 5267 – (Rep. Farrington) – Individual income tax; rate; conditional rollback of rate; provide for.
Testimony Only
Appropriations
Agenda:
SB 557 – (Sen. Schuitmaker) – Mental health; other; certain state funds to be used to provide mental health services; allow.
Reported favorably from committee 27-0
SB 558 – (Sen. Schuitmaker) – Mental health; other; program to divert persons with serious mental illness from justice system to treatment; establish.
Reported favorably from committee 27-0
HB 5141 – (Rep. MacGregor) – Property; conveyances; transfer of certain state-owned property to Kent county; provide for.
Reported favorably from committee 28-0
A review of the Executive Budget by Mary Ann Cleary, Director of House Fiscal Agency
Criminal Justice
Agenda:
HB 5234 – (Rep. Jenkins) – Crimes; definitions; human trafficking provisions; modify.
Testimony Only
HB 5235 – (Rep. Hovey-Wright) – Criminal procedure; sentencing guidelines; sentencing guidelines for human trafficking crimes; amend to reflect changes in human trafficking laws.
Testimony Only
HB 5236 – (Rep. McBroom) – Crimes; other; criminal forfeiture provisions in the revised judicature act of 1961; amend to reflect changes in human trafficking law.
Testimony Only
HB 4346 – (Rep. Stallworth) – Crimes; homicide; intentionally discharging a firearm at a dwelling or an occupied structure; establish as first degree murder.
Testimony Only
SB 582 – (Sen. Marleau) – Crimes; weapons; penalties for intentionally discharging a firearm from vehicle or at a dwelling or a potentially occupied structure; increase under certain circumstances.
Testimony Only
SB 583 – (Sen. Ananich) – Criminal procedure; sentencing guidelines; sentencing guidelines for increased penalties for crime of intentionally discharging a firearm from a motor vehicle or at a dwelling or potentially occupied structure; enact.
Testimony Only
Commerce
Agenda:
HB 4998 – (Rep. Schmidt) – Labor; public service employment; entrepreneur-in-residence program; create.
Reported favorably from committee 12-3
Appropriations Subcommittee on Community Health
Agenda:
Overview by the Department of Community Health on Executive Budget Recommendation for Fiscal Years 2014-15 and 2015-16
Appropriations Subcommittee on Licensing and Regulatory Affairs
Agenda:
HFA Presentation of FY 2014-15 Executive Recommendation with the Budget Directors from LARA and DIFS available for questions
Financial Services
Agenda:
HB 5277 – (Rep. Callton) – Civil procedure; foreclosure; property inspections during redemption period; revise procedures for.
Testimony Only
Michigan Competitiveness
Agenda:
Presentation by Christopher Gill, Director of Greenhouse Operations at Mastronardi Produce
Presentation by Dan Carmody, President of Eastern Market Corporation
Appropriations Subcommittee on Human Resources
Agenda:
Department of Human Services Budget Presentation on FY 2014-15 Executive Recommendation
Judiciary
Agenda:
HB 5154 – (Rep. Leonard) – Criminal procedure; preliminary examination; certain rules and procedures for conducting a preliminary examination; revise.
Reported favorably from committee 11-0
HB 5155 – (Rep. Walsh) – Courts; district court; probable cause conferences in felony and misdemeanor cases; clarify district court’s jurisdiction.
Reported favorably from committee 11-0
HB 4830 – (Rep. Lyons) – Civil procedure; evictions; legal representation; allow corporation, partnership, or limited liability company to appear without an attorney.
Testimony Only
Financial Liability Reform
Agenda:
HJR CC – (Rep. Franz) – Legislature; other; federal balanced budget amendment; petition congress.
Reported favorably from committee 6-4-1
SJR V – (Sen. Green) – Legislature; other; federal balanced budget amendment; petition congress.
Reported favorably from committee 6-4-1
Appropriations Subcommittee Community Colleges
Agenda:
Review of current budget from House Fiscal Agency
Presentation of Executive Recommendation for FY 2014-15 from State Budget Office
Appropriations Subcommittee on Natural Resources
Agenda:
HFA Overview of the FY 2014-15 Executive Budget Recommendation
Budget presentation by the Department of Natural Resources
Insurance
Agenda:
HB 4926 – (Rep. Callton) – Vehicles; title; access to salvage or scrap certificate of title; allow for insurance companies under certain circumstances.
Testimony Only
SB 418 – (Sen. Hune) – Occupations; insurance; travel agents; exempt from being licensed as insurance agents.
Testimony Only
Local Government
Agenda:
HB 4638 – (Rep. Pettalia) – Records; public; copy of original instrument verified by affidavit; create presumption of compliance with recording act.
Reported favorably from committee 12-0
HB 4639 – (Rep. Lane) – Records; public; recording affidavit and copy of original conveyance; allowing for indexing under names of parties to the conveyance.
Reported favorably from committee 12-0
HB 4640 – (Rep. Pettalia) – Records; public; recording copy of original conveyance; specify requirements for accompanying affidavit.
Reported favorably from committee 12-0
SB 574 – (Sen. Jones) – Local government; other; opt-in provision for eligibility as a foreclosing governmental unit; allow.
Reported favorably from committee 11-0-1
HB 5160 – (Rep. Price) – Property tax; payment and collection; liability for collection of taxes; modify.
Testimony Only
SB 437 – (Sen. Nofs) – Local government; intergovernmental affairs; separate legal entities provided in interlocal agreements under the urban cooperation act of 1967; clarify.
Testimony Only