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 March 10, 2014: Committee Meetings
Energy and Technology
Date: Tuesday, March 18
Time: 8:30 a.m.
Location: Room 519, House Office Building
Agenda:
HB 5184 – (Rep. Shirkey) – Public utilities; electric utilities; cap on electric choice; modify, require certain utilities to file a plan with the public service commission, and require the purchase of alternative electric suppliers’ receivables.
Appropriations: Subcommittee on Agriculture and Rural Development
Date: Tuesday, March 18
Time: 9 a.m.
Location: Room 307, House Office Building
Agenda:
- Public Testimony on Executive Budget Recommendation for FY 2014-15
- Testimony by Michigan Farm Bureau and Michigan Agri-Business Association
- HFA Decision Document
Regulatory Reform
Date: Tuesday, March 18
Time: 9 a.m.
Location: Room 521, House Office Building
Agenda:
HB 4997 – (Rep. Outman) – Tobacco; retail sales; sale of electronic cigarette or any oral device that provides vapor nicotine to minors; prohibit.
SB 667 – (Sen. Anderson) – Tobacco; other; electronic cigarettes; prohibit use of by minors.
SB 668 – (Sen. Jones) – Tobacco; retail sales; electronic cigarette; prohibit sale of to minors.
HB 5220 – (Rep. Kelly) – Occupations; accounting; licensure requirements for certain officers of public accounting firms; revise.
Appropriations: Subcommittee on General Government
Date: Tuesday, March 18
Time: 9 a.m.
Location: Room 326, House Office Building
Agenda:
Discussion of FY 2014-15 budget:
- Economic Vitality Incentive Program
- County Revenue Sharing/County Incentive Program
Transportation and Infrastructure
Date: Tuesday, March, 18
Time: 10:30 a.m.
Location: Room 521, House Office Building
Agenda:
HB 5258 – (Rep. Townsend) – Vehicles; registration plates; eligibility for disabled veteran registration plate; extend to partially disabled veterans.
SB 265 – (Sen. Jones) – Vehicles; registration; company test vehicles; exempt from additional tax on vehicle registrations charged by regional transit authority.
SB 415 – (Sen. Brandenburg) – Use tax; rate; tax on jet fuel; exempt.
SB 416 – (Sen. Brandenburg) – Sales tax; rate; tax on jet fuel; exempt.
Appropriations: Subcommittees on School Aid and Education
Date: Tuesday, March 18
Time: 10:30 a.m.
Location: Room 426, State Capitol Building
Agenda:
Student Assessment Costs and Teacher Evaluation Costs
Health Policy
Date: Tuesday, March 18
Time: 10:30 a.m.
Location: Room 519, House Office Building
Agenda:
SB 446 – (Sen. Booher) – Health facilities; hospitals; requirements applicable to hospitals providing extended care services through swing beds; clarify.
HB 4341 – (Rep. Lori) – Health; education; dead bodies donated to science; allow department to designate any accredited medical school in this state to accept.
SB 805 – (Sen. Warren) – Mental health; other; reference to mentally retarded and mental retardation; modify.
SB 806 – (Sen. Caswell) – Human services; adult foster care; reference to mentally retarded and mental retardation; modify.
SB 807 – (Sen. Ananich) – Mental health; developmental disability; reference to mentally retarded and mental retardation in patient purchaser agreements; change to developmental disability.
SB 808 – (Sen. Jones) – Mental health; developmental disability; reference to mental retardation in the nonprofit health care corporation reform act; change to developmental disability.
SB 809 – (Sen. Jansen) – Mental health; other; reference to mentally retarded and mental retardation; change to intellectual disability.
SB 810 – (Sen. Johnson) – Mental health; developmental disability; reference to mentally retarded and mental retardation; change to developmental disability.
SB 811 – (Sen. Moolenaar) – Senior citizens; other; reference to mentally retarded and mental retardation; modify.
Natural Resources
Date: Tuesday, March 18
Time: Noon
Location: Room 307, House Office Building
Agenda:
HB 5400 – (Rep. Schmidt) – Environmental protection; solid waste; low-hazard industrial waste, beneficial use by-products, and inert material; reduce regulation of.
HB 5401 – (Rep. McBroom) – Environmental protection; cleanups; person who stores or uses inert materials and beneficial use by-products; exempt from liability.
HB 5402 – (Rep. Potvin) – Agriculture; fertilizer; liming material licensing conditions; provide for beneficial use by-products and inert materials.
Appropriations: Subcommittee on Transportation
Date: Tuesday, March 18
Time: Noon
Location: Room 326, House Office Building
Agenda:
- Governor’s FY 2014-15 Transportation Budget
- Testimony: Amtrak on state rail passenger programs
- HFA follow up on budget issue
Oversight
Date: Tuesday, March 18
Time: 2:30 p.m.
Location: Room 326, House Office Building
-
Testimony from the Michigan Department of Education on the Performance Audit of Early On, November 2013
-
Testimony from the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs on the Performance Audit of the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency, December 2013
Joint Committee on Administrative Rules
Date: Wednesday, March 19
Time: 8:30 a.m.
Location: Room 426, State Capitol Building
Department of Treasury
Executive Director of the Michigan Gaming Control Board
Millionaire Party Rules
(2013-088TY) (JCAR 14-03)
Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs
Fireworks Safety General Rules
(2013-113 LR) (JCAR 14-5)
Agriculture
Date: Wednesday, March 19
Time: 9 a.m.
Location: Room 307, House Appropriations, State Capitol Building
Agenda:
HB 5195 – (Rep. LaFontaine) – Food; processors; wild game sausage; allow mixing of game from more than 1 owner and not butchered by a licensed food establishment if consumer is given written advisory.
HB 5226 – (Rep. McBroom) – Natural resources; hunting; issuance of crop damage permits; expand to include bear.
Appropriations: Subcommittee on Higher Education
Date: Wednesday, March 19
Time: 9 a.m.
Location: Room 352, House Appropriations, State Capitol Building
Agenda:
- Testimony from Michigan Independent Colleges and Universities
- Testimony from Michigan Association of College Registrars and Admissions Officers on Michigan Transfer Agreement
Tax Policy
Date: Wednesday, March 19
Time: 9 a.m.
Location: Room 519, House Office Building
Agenda:
SB 821 – (Sen. Brandenburg) – Taxation; other; local community stabilization authority; create.
SB 822 – (Sen. Hildenbrand) – Use tax; collections; collection of local use tax; increase amount allowable.
SB 823 – (Sen. Proos) – Property tax; exemptions; voter approval for exemption eligibility; modify, and exclude certain utility personal property from eligibility for exemption.
SB 824 – (Sen. Pappageorge) – State financing and management; authorities; process for transferring authority powers; revise, and provide other general amendments.
SB 825 – (Sen. Robertson) – Use tax; distribution; enacting section 1 in enrolled HB 6026, 2012 PA 408; amend to reflect different contingencies.
SB 826 – (Sen. Jansen) – Property tax; exemptions; enacting section 1 in enrolled SB 1069, 2012 PA 401; amend to reflect different contingencies.
SB 827 – (Sen. Bieda) – Property tax; exemptions; enacting section 1 in enrolled SB 1070, 2012 PA 402; amend to reflect different contingencies.
SB 828 – (Sen. Ananich) – Property tax; exemptions; enacting section 1 in enrolled SB 1071, 2012 PA 403; amend to reflect different contingencies.
SB 829 – (Sen. Warren) – Taxation; excise taxes; tax on certain owners of exempt eligible personal property; create.
SB 830 – (Sen. Nofs) – Taxation; specific tax; personal property exempt from the specific tax levied under the state essential services assessment act; create alternative specific tax.
SB 611 – (Sen. Kowall) – Economic development; other; collection of interest on delinquent assessment; modify.
SB 562 – (Sen. Schuitmaker) – Property tax; delinquent taxes; delinquent tax revolving fund; revise.
Military and Veterans Affairs
Date: Wednesday, March 19
Time: 9 a.m.
Location: Room 308, House Office Building
Agenda:
SB 671 – (Sen. Moolenaar) – Occupations; licensing fees; waiver of initial application and initial registration and license fees for certain veterans; provide for.
SB 672 – (Sen. Green) – Occupations; security guards; waiver of initial fees for security business and alarm licenses; authorize for certain veterans.
HB 5248 – (Rep. Haines) – Occupations; dental assistants; use of certain military experience as the basis for waiver of certain fees for licensure as a dental assistant; authorize.
Transportation and Infrastructure and Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation
Date: Wednesday, March 19
Time: 10:15 a.m.
Location: Room 203, Lansing Center, Lansing
Presentation by Ralph Becker, Salt Lake City Mayor on economic benefits of transit
Presentation by the Congress for New Urbanism on the importance of walkable communities and benefits of multiple modes of transportation for urban development
Criminal Justice
Date: Wednesday, March 19
Time: 10:30 a.m.
Location: Room 327, House Office Building
Agenda:
HB 5230 – (Rep. Cavanagh) – Civil procedure; other; abatement of nuisances; allow abatement for property used for human trafficking and make other general amendments.
HB 5233 – (Rep. Kesto) – Criminal procedure; forfeiture; forfeiture of property for certain human trafficking violations; provide for.
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.
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.
Commerce
Date: Wednesday, March 19
Time: 10:30 a.m.
Location: Room 519, House Office Building
Agenda:
SB 387 – (Sen. Schuitmaker) – Worker’s compensation; definitions; worker’s disability compensation act; expand employee definition to include reserve and auxiliary officers.
HB 5216 – (Rep. Kesto) – Corrections; parole; issuance by department of corrections of certificate of employability to certain prisoners; allow.
HB 5217 – (Rep. Walsh) – Labor; other; limited liability for employers that employ individuals issued a certificate of employability; provide for.
HB 5218 – (Rep. Santana) – Occupations; individual licensing and regulation; prerequisite of “good moral character”; eliminate for occupational licensing purposes.
Education
Date: Wednesday, March 19
Time: 10:30 a.m.
Location: Room 307 House Office Building
HB 5196 – (Rep. Lori) – Education; curriculum; specific physical education requirements; provide for.
SB 120 – (Sen. Colbeck) – Education; curriculum; certain American heritage instruction and documents; allow and prohibit censorship of.
SB 121 – (Sen. Colbeck) – Education; curriculum; celebrate freedom week to be observed in all public schools; require.
SB 423 – (Sen. Colbeck) – Education; school districts; instruction in certain United States historical information; require.
Appropriations Subcommittee on Environmental Quality
Date: Thursday, March 20
Time: 9 a.m.
Location: Room 426, State Capitol Building
Agenda:
DEQ Presentations:
- Leaking Underground Storage Tank Cleanup Program
- Hazardous Waste Program
Financial Liability Reform
Date: Thursday, March 20
Time: 9 a.m.
Location: Room 519, House Office Building
Agenda:
HB 5380 – (Rep. Franz) – Legislature; other; qualifications, appointment, and duties of delegates to an article V convention; provide for.
Appropriations Subcommittee on State Police
Date: Thursday, March 20
Time: 9 a.m.
Location: Room 308, House Office Building
Agenda:
- Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division
- Special Operations Division
Insurance
Date: Thursday, March 20 Time: 10:30 a.m.
Location: Room 519, House Office Building
Agenda:
SB 820 – (Sen. Hune) – Health facilities; certificate of need; membership on the certificate of need commission; include a reference to a nonprofit mutual disability insurer.
HB 5192 – (Rep. LaFontaine) – Insurance; life; use of certain preferred class structure mortality tables; allow under certain conditions.