In order to help make our state government more transparent and accessible to my constituents, each week that there is session I am going to post to my website a synopsis of the work each House committee will do for the week. This will include the time and location for the meeting as well as any bills or presentations the committee will hear. Each agenda item will include the bill number, the sponsor, and a brief summary of the legislation. If you would like to read in greater detail about any of these bills, you can read them in their full-text at www.legislature.mi.gov.

Please also note that you and your neighbors are welcome to observe any committee meeting or legislative session. Most House committee meetings are in the House Office Building (124 N. Capitol Ave. in Lansing), but some convene in the Capitol across the street.

As your elected officials, it is our job to conduct legislative business with efficiency and transparency. I hope you find these posts helpful and please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any additional questions or concerns.

Week of Feb. 17, 2014: Committee Meetings

Appropriations: Subcommittee on Agriculture and Rural Development

Date: Tuesday, Feb. 18

Time: 9 a.m.

Location: Room 307, House Office Building

Agenda:

Presentation by MDARD director on the Governor’s Executive Recommendation and Department Overview

Appropriations: Subcommittee on General Government

Date: Tuesday, Feb. 18

Time: 9 a.m.

Location: Room 326, House Office Building

Agenda:

Testimony on proposed FY 2014-15 budgets from:

 - Department of Treasury
 - Secretary of State

Energy and Technology

Date: Tuesday, Feb. 18

Time: 9 a.m.

Location: Room 519

Agenda:

Presentation by the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) on Electricity Cost Allocation and Rate Design

Regulatory Reform

Date: Tuesday, Feb. 18

Time: 9 a.m.

Location: Room 521, House Office Building

Agenda:

SB 575 – (Sen. Schuitmaker) – Occupations; health care professions; disciplinary subcommittees; provide for removal of members for conflicts of interest.

SB 576 – (Sen. Schuitmaker) – Public employees and officers; ethics; penalties for noncompliance with conflict of interest disclosure; implement into statute.

SB 577 – (Sen. Jones) – Occupations; health care professions; grounds for administrative sanctions; expand for licensed health professionals.

SB 578 – (Sen. Jones) – Health; occupations; decisions of disciplining subcommittees; establish process for review before decision is final

Appropriations: Subcommittee on School Aid

Date: Tuesday, Feb. 18

Time: 10:30 a.m.

Location: Room 426, State Capitol Building

Agenda:

Year-Round School Calendar

Transportation and Infrastructure

Date: Tuesday, Feb. 18

Time: 10:30 a.m.

Location: Room 521, House Office Building

Agenda:

HB 5117 – (Rep. Victory) – Counties; boards and commissions; transfer of functions of a county road commission to the county board of commissioners; eliminate sunset.

HB 5118 – (Rep. Victory) – Counties; boards and commissions; powers and duties of county road commissioners to be exercised by the county board of commissioners; eliminate sunset.

Presentation by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget on self-funded web portal development models used in other states.

Appropriations: Subcommittee on Education

Date: Tuesday, Feb. 18

Time: Noon

Location: Room 426, State Capitol Building

Agenda:

Child Development and Care Program

Appropriations: Subcommittee on Transportation

Date: Tuesday, Feb. 18

Time: Noon

Location: Room House Office Building

Agenda:

  • Review of Governor’s FY 2014-15 State Transportation Budget Proposal by House Fiscal Agency
  • Bill Sheffer, Michigan RVs and Campgrounds Association, George Moroz, The Henry Ford, on Michigan Tourism
  • Other public testimony

Appropriations: Subcommittee on Military and Veterans Affairs

Date: Tuesday, Feb. 18

Time: Noon

Location: Room 424, State Capitol Building

Agenda:

Overview presentation by the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs on the FY 2014-15 Executive Recommendation

Natural Resources and Tourism: Joint Committee Meeting

Date: Tuesday, Feb. 18

Time: Noon

Location: Room 352, House Appropriations, State Capitol

Agenda:

Presentation on Aquatic Nuisance Species and the Great Lakes Mississippi River Interbasin Study (GLMRIS)

Oversight

Date: Tuesday, Feb. 18

Time: 2:30 p.m.

Location: Room 326, House Office Building

Agenda:

-Public Testimony on the Open Meetings Act

HB 5193 – (Rep. McMillin) – Civil rights; open meetings; closed-door sessions for trial or settlement strategy; allow only if matter being discussed is currently being litigated.

HB 5194 – (Rep. McMillin) – Civil rights; open meetings; accountability for penalties for violating open meetings act; limit defenses.

Appropriations: Subcommittee on Environmental Quality

Date: Tuesday, Feb. 18

Time: 3 p.m.

Location: Room 426, State Capitol Building

Agenda:

  • HFA Overview of the FY 2014-15 Executive Budget Recommendation
  • Budget presentation by the Department of Environmental Quality

Appropriations: Subcommittee on Higher Education

Date: Wednesday, Feb. 19

Time: 9 a.m.

Location: Room 352, State Capitol Building

Agenda:

State Budget Office presentation on FY 2014-15 Executive Recommendation

Tax Policy

Date: Wednesday, Feb. 19

Time: 9 a.m.

Location: Room 519, House Office Building

Agenda:

HB 5265 – (Rep. Somerville) – Individual income tax; rate; rollback of rate; provide for.

HB 5266 – (Rep. Kelly) – Individual income tax; rate; rollback of rate; provide for.

HB 5267 – (Rep. Farrington) – Individual income tax; rate; conditional rollback of rate; provide for.

SB 114 – (Sen. Gregory) – Property tax; assessments; assessment of commercial rental property; revise.

SB 711 – (Sen. Marleau) – Sales tax; exemptions; tax exemption on tangible personal property used in construction or renovation of qualified convention facility; extend sunset.

SB 735 – (Sen. Marleau) – Use tax; exemptions; tax exemption on tangible personal property used in construction or renovation of qualified convention facility; extend sunset.

Criminal Justice and Appropriations Subcommittee on Corrections

Date: Wednesday, Feb. 19

Time: 10:30 a.m.

Location: Room 519, House Office Building

Agenda:

Presentation given by The Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center on their sentencing study and justice reinvestment efforts in Michigan.

Appropriations Subcommittee on State Police

Date: Wednesday, Feb. 19

Time: 10:30 a.m.

Location: Room 326, House Office Building

Agenda:

Department of State Police presentation on the FY 2014-15 Executive Recommendation

Appropriations Subcommittee on Community Health

Date: Wednesday, Feb. 19

Time: 10:30 a.m.

Location: Room 352, House Appropriations, State Capitol Building

Agenda:

Executive Budget Recommendation for Fiscal Year 2014-15 on Public Health, Office of Services to the Aging, Health Policy, and Crime Victim Services Commission

Appropriations Subcommittee on Licensing and Regulatory Affairs

Date: Wednesday, Feb. 19

Time: 10:30 a.m.

Location: Room 424, State Capitol

Agenda:

  • Discussion with Carole Engle, Director of the Bureau of Health Care Services (BHCS), on the implementation of improvements to the information technology system utilized by nursing home surveyors

  • Discussion with Irvin Poke, Director of the Bureau of Construction Codes (BCC), on the implementation of improvements to the information technology system utilized for permitting and licensing programs

Education

Date: Wednesday, Feb. 19

Time: 10:30 a.m.

Location: Room 307, House Office Building

Agenda:

HB 5223 – (Rep. O’Brien) – Education; teachers; performance evaluation requirements for teachers; revise.

HB 5224 – (Rep. Zemke) – Education; employees; performance evaluation requirements for school administrators; revise.

Appropriations: Subcommittee on Human Services

Date: Wednesday, Feb. 19

Time: Noon

Location: Room 352, State Capitol Building

Agenda:

Public Testimony

Families, Children and Seniors

Date: Wednesday, Feb. 19

Time: Noon

Location: Room 519, House Office Building

Agenda:

HB 5039 – (Rep. Kurtz) – Children; protection; duties of children’s ombudsman; expand.

HB 4855 – (Rep. Kurtz) – Gaming; lottery; lottery winners; require lottery bureau to pay any indebtedness to department of human services.

SB 276 – (Sen. Hune) – Human services; other; public assistance recipients to perform community service as a condition of eligibility; require.

Appropriations: Subcommittee on Corrections

Date: Wednesday, Feb. 19

Time: 3 p.m.

Location: Room 352, Capitol Building

Agenda:

House Fiscal Agency Overview of the FY 2014-15 Executive Budget Recommendation

Appropriations: Subcommittee on Joint Capital Outlay

Date: Wednesday, Feb. 19

Time: 4 p.m.

Location: Senate Appropriations, Capitol Building

Agenda:

  • FY 2013-14 Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund Appropriations
  • FY 2013-14 Construction Authorizations
  • FY 2013-14 Scope and Cost Adjustments

Appropriations: Subcommittee on Community Colleges

Date: Thursday, Feb. 20

Time: 10:30 a.m.

Location: Room 428, Capitol Building

Agenda:

  • Michigan New Jobs Training Program
  • Workforce Issues

Appropriations: Subcommittee on Natural Resources

Date: Thursday, Feb. 20

Time: 10:30 a.m.

Location: Room 426, Capitol Building

Agenda:

DNR Presentations:

  • Belle Island State Park

  • Michigan State Park Program and Funding Overview

  • State Dredging Program Update