Capitol Update

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.

Feb. 4-6: 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.

Creation of the “Trampoline Court Safety Act” SB 475 (Sen. Hildenbrand) – Passed: 57-53 Next: Sent back to the Senate SB 475 would create the “Trampoline Court Safety Act” to do the following: (1) Specify requirements that a trampoline court operator and a trampoliner would have to meet; (2) Provide that a person who participated in trampolining would accept the dangers inherent in that activity, insofar as the dangers were obvious and necessary; and (3) Specify that a trampoliner, spectator, or operator who violated the act would be liable for damages that resulted from the violation.

Addition of “Other School Employees” to Those Capable of Child Abuse and Neglect HB 4493 (Rep. Kesto) -Passed: 109-1 Next: Sent to Senate for consideration HB 4493 would add “other school employees” to the definition of those capable of child abuse and neglect, and to mandate “other school employees” within the reporting requirements of suspected incidents of child abuse or neglect.

Exception for Applying for a Neighborhood Enterprise Zone Certificate SB 146 (Sen. Young) – Passed: 93-17 Next: Sent to governor for signature SB 146 adds a new exception to the current list of circumstances in which a person may apply for a Neighborhood Enterprise Zone certificate after a building permit has already been issued. Under the bill, a certificate could be obtained for a property in an area that was designed as a Neighborhood Enterprise Zone (NEZ) by the local government in September 2012 and if the building permit was issued for the property after Dec. 1, 2004, and before Dec. 30, 2004.

Amendment to the Brownfield Redevelopment Financing Act SB 533 (Sen. Kahn) – Passed: 98-12 Next: Sent back to the Senate SB 533 would amend the Brownfield Redevelopment Financing Act to change, for 2013 only, the deadline in the process whereby brownfield redevelopment authorities apply to the Department of Treasury for approval to receive State Education Tax revenues to be used to meet certain debt obligations. The bill would allow, for 2013 only, a brownfield authority to apply for Treasury approval by no later than 30 days after the bill’s effective date instead of the June 1 deadline currently in statute. The bill also changes the standard deadline to June 15 each year.

Amendment to the Code of Criminal Procedure HB 5157 (Rep. Banks) – Passed: 97-13 Next: Sent to Senate for consideration HB 5157 amends MCL 777.37 of the Code of Criminal Procedure to clarify the level of conduct that a defendant must act with in order for a court to score 50 points toward his or her minimum prison sentence under Offense Variable 7 (aggravated abuse).

Elimination of Mandatory Life in Prison for Juvenile Criminal Defendants SB 318 (Sen. Jones) – Passed: 62-48 Next: Sent to governor for signature SB 318 would eliminate mandatory life in prison without parole (LWOP) sentences for juvenile criminal defendants.

Increase of the Statutory Maximum Penalties for Driving Under the Influence HB 4567 (Rep. Kowall) – Passed: 101-7 HB 4568 (Rep. Kowall) – Passed: 100-8 Next: Sent to Senate for consideration HB 4567 and HB 4568 increase the statutory maximum penalties for driving while under the influence of alcohol or a schedule I controlled substance. The bill also enhances penalties those drivers who have prior convictions for the same offense or blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.17 at the time of the offense.

Requirement that a Candidate Identify Convicted Felonies HB 4825 (Kesto) – Passed: 105-3 Next: Sent to Senate for consideration HB 4825 would amend the Michigan Election Law to require a candidate to indicate on his or her affidavit of identity whether he or she has been convicted of a felony within the immediately preceding 10 years.

Amending Definition of a “Victim” under the William Van Regenmorter Crime Victim’s Rights Act HB 5262 (Rep. Schmidt) – Passed: 108-0 HB 5263 (O’Brien) – Passed: 108-0 Next: Sent to Senate for consideration Collectively, this package (which also includes SB 628), amends the definition of “victim” under the William Van Regenmorter Crime Victim’s Rights Act to include a parent of a minor victim for the purposes of making an impact statement only at sentencing, after the victim reaches the age of majority.

Revision to School Disaster Drill Protocol HB 4713 – (Rep. Graves) – Passed: 81-27 Next: Sent to governor for signature HB 4713 amends 1941 PA 207, the Fire Prevention Code, by adding more specificity to the timing of various disaster drills to be performed by schools, requiring a record of the completed disaster drills to be posted on the internet and requiring schools to provide information regarding their scheduled drill days to the County Emergency Management Coordinator appointed under Section 9 of the Emergency Management Act who will then disseminate the information to the various local authorities.

Week of Feb. 3: 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

Presentation from Michigan State University on sustainable agriculture and regional food systems.

Energy and Technology

HB 5254 – (Outman) – Natural resources; gas and oil; pipeline definition; expand to include pipelines carrying carbon dioxide gas for certain purposes.

Reported from committee by a 18-0-2 vote.

HB 5255 – (Stallworth) – Natural resources; gas and oil; condemnation authority for pipelines; expand to include pipelines carrying carbon dioxide for certain purposes.

Reported from committee by a 17-0-3 vote.

HB 5274 – (Pettalia) – Natural resources; gas and oil; regulations for carbon dioxide pipelines; provide for.

Reported from committee by a 17-0-3 vote.

Regulatory Reform

HB 5163 – (VerHeulen) – Agriculture; animals; persons allowed to breed large carnivores; expand.

Testimony Only

Transportation and Infrastructure

CANCELLED

Elections and Ethics

HB 4693 – (Price) – Elections; election officials; methods to convey election night results; modify.

Testimony Only

HB 5152 – (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.

Testimony Only

House and Senate Committee on Health Policy

Presentation from the State of Michigan Mental Health and Wellness Commission

Tax Policy

Deena Bosworth, representing Michigan Association of Counties and Tim Dolehanty, representing Ingham County, spoke to “Local Tax Capture Policy Impact on County Government Resources.” Questions and discussion followed.

Commerce

SB 553 – (Kahn) – Economic development; renaissance zones; extension of certain existing renaissance zones; provide for.

Was reported from committee by a 13-3-1 vote.

HB 4998 – (Schmidt) – Labor; public service employment; entrepreneur-in-residence program; create.

Testimony Only

Appropriations

Governor’s Budget Presentation

Tourism

HB 5191 – (Rep. Rendon) – Vehicles; off-road; helmet requirement; create exemption when property owner operating on own land.

Reported from committee by a vote of 7-0.

Judiciary

HB 4534 – (Rep. Muxlow) – Animals; animal shelters; use of animal abuse registry by animal control shelters and animal protection shelters when allowing an animal adoption; require, and prohibit animal control shelters and animal protection shelters from allowing a person listed on an animal abuse registry to adopt an animal.

Reported from committee by a vote of 9-0-1.

HB 4755 – (Rep. Santana) – Crimes; animals; ownership of animals by a person convicted by certain crimes against animals; require court to prohibit for a period of at least 5 years.

Reported from committee by a vote of 9-0-1.

HB 5061 – (Rep. Santana) – Animals; animal shelters; animal shelters to deny adoptions under certain circumstances; require, and allow animal shelters to consider prior criminal history before adoption.

Reported from committee by a vote of 10-0.

HB 5062 – (Rep. Santana) – Law enforcement; reports; access by animal shelter to certain criminal history record information through ICHAT; allow without a fee for purposes of animal adoption.

Reported from committee by a vote of 10-0.

HB 5154 – (Rep. Leonard) – Criminal procedure; preliminary examination; certain rules and procedures for conducting a preliminary examination; revise.

Testimony Only

HB 5155 – (Rep. Walsh) – Courts; district court; probable cause conferences in felony and misdemeanor cases; clarify district court’s jurisdiction.

Testimony Only

Education and Appropriations Subcommittee on Education

Public testimony on the Report on Options for Assessments Aligned with the Common Core State Standards. A copy of the report can be found here: http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mde/Common_Core_Assessment_Option_Report_441322_7.pdf

Also, meeting jointly with the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on K-12, School Aid, Education. Sen. Howard Walker, Chair

Michigan Competitiveness

Alan Cook, representing the Icicle Seafoods, Inc. (Washington state), gave a presentation by phone on Commercial Net Pen Salmon Farming in Washington state. Mr. Cook also submitted written material.
Families, Children and Seniors

HB 5038 – (Rep. Kurtz) – Children; services; child welfare caseloads; codify.

Reported favorably from committee by a vote of 8-0