BILL PACKAGE HBs 4727-4729 & 4959:  HB 4727 (Wilson) would require that individuals appointed as professional guardians or conservators under the Estates and Protected Individuals Code (EPIC) be licensed. HB 4728 (H-1) (Schmaltz) would create a new article under the Occupational Code to establish a licensing system for professional guardians and conservators. HB 4729 (VanderWall) would establish an order of priority for guardian appointments for ward’s that are developmentally disabled. HB 4959 (H-1) (Schmaltz) would amend the State License Fee Act to establish the initial application and renewal fee for Professional Guardian or Conservator licenses.

Sponsors:  Reps. Wilson (D), Schmaltz (R), & VanderWall (R)                 

HB 4727 Passage:  102-4 with Immediate Effect

HBs 4728-4729 Passages:  101-5 with Immediate Effect

HB 4959 Passage:  100-6 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: Ensuring employees or contractors of guardians cannot independently make decisions regarding the welfare of wards is crucial towards protecting against abuse.

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SB 205:  Permits physician offices and urgent care clinics to provide information on organ, tissue, and bone marrow donation, if the patient agrees to receiving such information.

Sponsor:  Sen. Daley (R)                           

Passage:  103-3 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: The bill could encourage conversations around organ donation, helping more willing organ donors to register, possibly saving lives while lifting the burden of decision making from family members.

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BILL PACKAGE HBs 5254-5255:  Restrict how much interest health care providers can charge for medical debt, restrict collection actions and the sale of medical debt.

Sponsors:  Reps. Rigas (R) & Pohutsky (D)                        

HB 5254 Passage:  99-7 with Immediate Effect

HB 5255 Passage:  95-11 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: Health care is increasingly expensive, with simple procedures costing thousands of dollars. Paired with intransparent and complex billing practices, it is a significant burden to many families.

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BILL PACKAGE HBs 6071-6073:  Mandate hospitals to have a financial assistance policy compliant with certain availability and eligibility requirements, create the medical debt relief fund, and prohibit consumer reporting regarding medical debt.

Sponsors:  Reps. Schmaltz (R), Frisbie (R), & Bohnak (R)                          

HBs 6071 & 6073 Passages:  94-12 with Immediate Effect

HB 6072 Passage:  93-13 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: People do not accumulate medical debt willingly; it is the consequence of unforeseen and detrimental life events, affecting a person’s health and sometimes ability to work.

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HB 5145:  Prohibits self-attestation (regarding identity, income and residency) for public assistance program applications.

Sponsor:  Rep. Woolford (R)                    

Passage:  58-49 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: Added provisions still allow leeway of documentation cannot be provided, ensuring eligible applicants are not denied simply because they are missing a document.

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HB 5082:  Requires the state to provide timely and free wetland assessments for property owners.

Sponsor:  Rep. Kunse (R)                           

Passage:  57-50 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: Eliminating assessment fees lowers barriers for small landowners and farmers.

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HB 5502:  Clarifies when an incidentally created wetland can be regulated by EGLE.

Sponsor:  Rep. Cavitt (R)                           

Passage:  58-49 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: This will support agriculture by protecting routine farming practices from permitting delays and costs.

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HB 5707:  Creates a state permit exemption for non-commercial residential ponds under 1 acre on land zoned for residential or agricultural purposes.

Sponsor:  Rep. Bierlein (R)                       

Passage:  63-44 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: This protects private property rights and reduces “red tape” for small, personal-use projects.

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BILL PACKAGE HBs 5045-5046:  HB 5045 (BeGole) – specifies that redemption periods begin after a sheriff’s deed is recorded, if the recording is more than 20 days after a sale. HB 5046 (O’Neal) – specifies that redemption periods begin after a sheriff’s deed is recorded, if the recording is more than 20 days after a sale.

Sponsors:  Reps. BeGole (R) & O’Neal (D)                        

Passages:  105-2 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: This fixes a significant issue created by a court decision that led to families facing foreclosure having a difficult time getting their homes back.

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HB 5338:  Allows the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) to develop a model presentation on organ, eye, and tissue donation and transplantation programs, and encourages schools to provide the model presentation to students before they complete 9th grade.

Sponsor:  Rep. Kunse (R)                           

Passage:  93-14 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: Not all students receive driver’s training; this bill would expose all 9th students to information on organ and tissue donation.

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HB 5974:  Permits parent access to minor’s medical records even if the minor obtained health care lawfully without parent consent.

Sponsor:  Rep. Aragona (R)                      

Passage:  61-46 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: Health care providers frequently violate the spirit of the law, making clear and unambiguous changes, strengthening the rights of parents, necessary.

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HB 6009:  Prohibits the state from providing excessive severance payments and from preventing disclosure of certain employment-related information.

Sponsor:  Rep. Roth (R)                              

Passage:  107-0 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: The bill improves transparency of potential severance payments, ensuring oversight.

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HB 4408:  Would amend the Powers of Appointment Act of 1967, to expand the powers of a trustee.

Sponsor:  Rep. Wozniak (R)                     

Passage:  107-0 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: Attorneys who specialize in the areas of probate and estate planning might argue that these bills will be helpful when complex estates and trusts are litigated in the probate court.

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HB 4523:  Would amend the Estates and Protected Individuals Code (EPIC) to make various small, technical changes with regard to the power of trustees.

Sponsor:  Rep. Wozniak (R)                     

Passage:  107-0 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: Attorneys who specialize in the areas of probate and estate planning might argue that these bills

will be helpful when complex estates and trusts are litigated in the probate court.

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BILL PACKAGE HB 4703 & SB 415:  HB 4703 would require insurers to cover group prenatal care services. HB 4704 would require Medicaid to cover group prenatal care services. SB 415 would require Medicaid to cover group prenatal care services.

Sponsors:  Rep. Wortz (R) & Sen. Johnson (R)                 

HB 4703 Passage:  102-4 with Immediate Effect

SB 415 Passage:  103-3 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: Group prenatal care can serve as a setting in which new expecting mothers are able to discuss issues related to pregnancy together, potentially allowing for physical, mental, and emotional support.

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HB 4905:  Would allow family and marriage therapist license applicants to obtain required client experience virtually.

Sponsor:  Rep. Schmaltz (R)                   

Passage:  106-1 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: Educational and experiential requirements are maintained – this simply allows for some of the experience to be obtained and supervised virtually.

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BILL PACKAGE HBs 5544-5550:  HB 5544 (H-2) (Lightner) – creates the Money Transmission Modernization Act (MTMA).

HB 5545 (Martin) – updates language and references in the Consumer Financial Services Act. HB 5546 (B. Carter) – updates language and references in the Deferred Presentment Services Transactions Act. HB 5547 (Snyder) – updates sentencing guidelines in the Code of Criminal Procedure. HB 5548 (Lightner) – updates language and references in the Consumer Financial Services Act. HB 5549 (Tisdel) – updates language and references in the Consumer Financial Services Act. HB 5550 (Schuette) – updates language and references in the Consumer Financial Services Act.

Sponsors:  Reps. Lightner (R), Martin (R), B Carter (D), Snyder (D), Tisdel (R), & Schuette (R)                  

HB 5544 Passage:  97-10 with Immediate Effect

HB 5545-5550 Passages:  102-5 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: Financial services have evolved in recent years, and the current patchwork regulatory structure provides a confusing framework for businesses to operate in.

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HB 6007:  Exempts lemonade stands from licensure and permitting under the Food Law.

Sponsor:  Rep. Cavitt (R)                           

Passage:  107-0 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: We should be teaching kids personal responsibility and a good work ethic, and this particular department regulation stifles that.

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BILL PACKAGE HBs 5936-5938:  HB 5936 (Harris) requires the department responsible for approving or denying permits to refund an application fee in total if the application is not approved or denied by the processing deadline.

HB 5937 (Aragona) modifies the approval process for certain environmental permits. HB 5938 (Smit) limits revisions of environmental permit applications.

Sponsors:  Reps. Harris (R), Aragona (R), Smit (R), & DeBoyer (R)

HB 5936 & 5937 Passages:  58-49 with Immediate Effect

HB 5938 Passage:  62-45 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: Limiting department revisions of permit applications to changes requested by the permit holder stops the department from continually moving the goalposts on a project.

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BILL PACKAGE HBs 6098-6099:  Prohibits surveillance pricing while still allowing for dynamic pricing practices and loyalty rewards programs.

Sponsors:  Reps. Frisbie (R) & Linting (R)                           

Passages:  92-15 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: Surveillance pricing is an invasion of privacy and should not be allowed.

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BILL PACKAGE HBs 4539-4540:  Would expand eligibility for MSHDA’s Michigan Housing and Community Development Fund (HCDF) to middle-income households (up to 120% AMI) and provide state/regional housing authorities greater flexibility to address “missing middle” housing needs.

Sponsors:  Reps. Wooden (D) & Meerman (R)                 

Passage:  92-13 with Immediate Effect

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BILL PACKAGE HBs 5805-5807:  HB 5805 (Aragona) – establishes and administers the Housing Opportunity Tax Credit program. HB 5806 (Grant) – creates housing opportunity tax credits. HB 5807 (Aragona) – provides housing opportunity credits against the retaliatory tax.

Sponsors:  Reps. Grant (D) & Aragona (R)                         

HB 5805 Passage:  91-14 with Immediate Effect

HBs 5806 & 5807 Passages:  92-13 with Immediate Effect

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HB 6043:  Codifies the current Tri-Share Program that provides for shared childcare costs between the state, employer, and employee.

Sponsor:  Rep. VanWoerkom (R)                           

Passage:  95-10 with Immediate Effect

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HB 6074:  Prevents private equity/institutional firms from owning more than 100 single-family homes.

Sponsor:  Rep. Bohnak (R)                        

Passage:  102-3 with Immediate Effect