Rep. Annette Glenn, R-Midland, this week testified in support of her plan that would reimburse individuals and job providers for Michigan business license fees they had to pay even though they were shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The measures would allow a wide variety of occupations to seek prorated fee reimbursements if their business suffered a financial loss and was closed because of a state mandate in 2020. Glenn’s measure specifically deals with reimbursements for licenses in public health and health care. Other measures in the package would allow reimbursements for skilled trade licenses, food service and liquor licenses, and numerous other occupational licenses.

“It’s simple and straightforward,” Glenn said after testifying in the House Regulatory Reform Committee. “State government should not force people to pay for business licenses they aren’t allowed to use. Many nurses, mental health professionals, respiratory therapists and others were not allowed to work. Asking them to pay for required licenses they were unable to use is just wrong and an additional burden forced on them.

“This legislation restores common sense to the process,” Glenn said. “Licensed occupations that weren’t allowed to operate because of state COVID orders would be entitled to a refund covering the appropriate timeframe.”

Many of the reimbursements would be prorated – for example, if a business was shut down for three months or 25 percent of the year, the license holder could seek proration or credit of 25 percent of the associated fee. A license holder paying $120 for an annual license in this example would instead be required to pay $90. The other $30 – if already paid – would be reimbursed through a credit when renewing their license for 2021.

House Bills 4557-61 remain under consideration in the Regulatory Reform Committee.