Replies

House Bill 4162: Require license to install residential lifts
Introduced by Rep. Aric Nesbitt (R) on February 10, 2015, to exempt residential lift installers from the comprehensive licensure and regulatory regime that applies to regular elevator contractors. Residential repair contractors would be subject to a less onerous regulatory regime imposed by House Bill 4163. This would greatly increase the number of professionals allowed to install stairway chairlifts and platform lifts in private residences for elderly or handicapped individuals.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168296

House Bill 4163: Require license to install residential lifts
Introduced by Rep. Al Pscholka (R) on February 10, 2015, to require a licensed “residential maintenance and repair” contractor to get a separate license to install a “residential lift.” The contractor would have to be certified by the manufacturer, pay fees to be determined by the state’s occupational licensure bureau, and be deemed by that agency to be “qualified.” Residential lifts can include one-story stair-climbing machines for elderly or handicapped individuals. This is connected to House Bill 4162 which would exempt residential lift installers from the more comprehensive licensure and regulatory regime that applies to regular elevator contractors.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168297

House Bill 4164: Add “sexual orientation” to “ethnic intimidation” law
Introduced by Rep. Brandon Dillon (D) on February 10, 2015, to add “gender identity” and “sexual orientation” to a state “ethnic intimidation” law that authorizes penalties for intimidating or harassing another person because of that person’s race, color, religion, gender, or national origin. The bill would also add age and physical disability to this law, which authorizes up to two years in prison and “triple damages” lawsuits for violations.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168298

House Bill 4165: Revise victim notification of offender’s prison alternative
Introduced by Rep. Brandon Dillon (D) on February 10, 2015, to require that the notice sent to the victim of a crime that the offender may be placed in a special alternative incarceration (”boot camp”) program must inform the victim of his or her right to submit a victim impact statement to the judge.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168299

House Bill 4166: Repeal county promotions tax, except for Washtenaw
Introduced by Rep. Rick Outman (R) on February 10, 2015, to repeal a law that allows counties to impose a 0.5 mill property tax for trade expositions, tourism promotion or to advertise the county’s “agricultural advantages,” except for Washtenaw County, which appears to be the only county that currently imposes this tax.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168300

House Bill 4167: Mandate private employers provide paid sick leave
Introduced by Rep. Stephanie Chang (D) on February 10, 2015, to mandate that employers must grant employees one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked, up to 40 hours annually for small businesses, and 72 hours annually for larger employers.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168301

House Bill 4168: Replace paper tax rolls with electronic
Introduced by Rep. Sam Singh (D) on February 10, 2015, to eliminate a requirement that local governments keep a hard (paper) copy of tax rolls if the information is maintained on computerized database.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168302

House Bill 4169: Revise “boot camp” prison alternative detail
Introduced by Rep. Marcia Hovey-Wright (D) on February 10, 2015, to eliminate the option of sending a youthful offender to prison for up to three years eligible instead of assigning him to a “special alternative incarceration” sentencing program, changing this instead to sending him to a county jail for up to one year.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168303

House Bill 4170: Exclude veterans disability payments from divorce settlement
Introduced by Rep. Ray Franz (R) on February 10, 2015, to exclude a veteran’s service-related disability compensation from being included in a divorce-related property division or child support determination.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168304

House Bill 4171: Grant property tax breaks for small “wind energy conversion devices”
Introduced by Rep. Ben Glardon (R) on February 10, 2015, to exempt from property taxes small scale “wind energy conversion devices” as defined in the bill.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168305

House Bill 4172: Revise principle residence property tax exemption detail
Introduced by Rep. Jeff Irwin (D) on February 10, 2015, to increase the threshold for assessing a penalty for claiming a principle residence property tax exemption when an interest in the property is transferred and the capped taxable value is less than the uncapped “state equalized value” (which is based on market value). The bill would apply the penalty if the property was transferred at a price later found to be more than twice the SEV.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168306

House Bill 4173: Revise principle residence property tax exemption claim process
Introduced by Rep. David Maturen (R) on February 10, 2015, to allow a property owner who was eligible for real estate transfer tax exemption at the time he or she acquired the property but did not get one to apply for a refund up to four years later. This would be retroactive if the bill becomes law.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168307

House Bill 4174: Repeal ban on direct consumer sales by brewers and winemakers
Introduced by Rep. Todd Courser (R) on February 10, 2015, to allow brewers and winemakers to sell their products directly to consumers without having to go through one the regional distributor monopolies protected by the state.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168308

House Bill 4175: Revise horseback riding liability waiver
Introduced by Rep. Joel Johnson (R) on February 10, 2015, to revise a law limiting the liability of stables and equine event organizers for injury, death or property damage resulting from an inherent risk of an equine activity, by changing an exception allowing suits for “negligence” so that it instead only allows suits for “willful and wanton disregard” for participants’ safety.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168309

House Bill 4176: Require erasure of arrest records if accuser recants
Introduced by Rep. Peter Lucido (R) on February 10, 2015, to require that if an individual is arrested for any crime and the complaining witness recants before the trial, then the charge must be dismissed and the arrest record, all biometric data, fingerprints, DNA sample or profile and statements from the accused individual must be expunged or destroyed, and entries in the state criminal violation database deleted.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168310

House Bill 4177: Require erasure of arrest records if accuser recants
Introduced by Rep. Peter Lucido (R) on February 10, 2015, to revise the rules for the state law enforcement information network criminal database to reflect the proposal in House Bill 4176 to clear the record of a falsely charged individual.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168311

House Bill 4178
Referred to the House Judiciary Committee on February 10, 2015, to revise the pretrial procedures prescribed in statute for criminal trials to reflect the proposal in House Bill 4176 to clear the record of a falsely charged individual.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168312

House Bill 4179: Revise voting registration detail
Introduced by Rep. George T. Darany (D) on February 11, 2015, to revise the requirement that a person who registers by mail and has never voted in Michigan must provide identification when voting the first time. The bill would allow the person to show up at any municipal clerk’s office before an election and show his or her ID, and would then require that clerk to notify the clerk of the appropriate jurisdiction.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168371

House Bill 4180: Require advance filing of precinct delegate write-in candidates
Introduced by Rep. George T. Darany (D) on February 11, 2015, to require precinct delegate candidates who plan to run as a write-in to file a declaration of intent no later than 4 p.m. on the second Friday immediately before the election.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168372

House Bill 4181: Revise precinct delegate absentee ballot counting detail
Introduced by Rep. George T. Darany (D) on February 11, 2015, to establish that absentee ballot votes for precinct delegates may be tallied separately from regular votes, rather than requiring them to be tallied separately, which is the current law.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168373

House Bill 4182: Ban local governmental body “phone-in” voting
Introduced by Rep. Amanda Price (R) on February 11, 2015, to establish that if a member of a public body is allowed to cast a vote on a decision by the body without being physically present, it is a violation of the state Open Meetings Act.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168374

House Bill 4183: Revise, eliminate certain government notice publication in newspapers
Introduced by Rep. Amanda Price (R) on February 11, 2015, to repeal the requirement that local governments publish certain legal notices in local newspapers, and instead allow them to post these on their own website. The change would be phased in over a 10 year period.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168375

House Bill 4184: Revise political speech regulation detail
Introduced by Rep. Julie Plawecki (D) on February 11, 2015, to revise a law that requires a political communication that refers to a clearly identified candidate or ballot question and is targeted to the relevant electorate to disclose the identity of the person sponsoring or paying for it published within 60 days before a general election or 30 days before a primary election. Under the bill that period would run from 60 days before the primary right through the general election.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168376

House Bill 4185: Revise salvage vehicle inspection certification detail
Introduced by Rep. Julie Plawecki (D) on February 11, 2015, to establish a process for appealing the suspension, revocation, or denial of a salvage vehicle inspection certification.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168377

House Bill 4186: Restrict privatization of state services
Introduced by Rep. Sherry Gay-Dagnogo (D) on February 11, 2015, to prohibit automatic renewals of state service contracts. Agencies would have to perform cost-benefit analyses of the contract before each renewal and not renew it if the expected savings or services were not realized. The work would then be returned to regular government employees.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168378

House Bill 4187: Authorize sanctions for vandalizing road signs, lights, etc.
Introduced by Rep. Fred Durhal, III (D) on February 11, 2015, to authorize penalties of up one year in prison and a $500 fine for vandalizing or removing a traffic control device, light post, sign, etc. on a road or highway.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168379

House Bill 4188: Let adoption agencies refuse adoptions that violate moral convictions
Introduced by Rep. Andrea LaFontaine (R) on February 13, 2015, to specify in statute that a “child placing agency” (private adoption agency or foster care service) is not required to assist or participate in an adoption or placement that violates its written religious or moral convictions, including adoptions of a child by a homosexual. Also, to prohibit a state agency from discriminating or taking an “adverse action” against an adoption agency for this reason.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168430

House Bill 4189: Let adoption agencies refuse adoptions that violate moral convictions
Introduced by Rep. Harvey Santana (D) on February 13, 2015, to specify in statute that a “child placing agency” (private adoption agency or foster care service) is not required to assist or participate in an adoption or placement that violates its written religious or moral convictions, including adoptions of a child by a homosexual. Also, to prohibit a state agency from discriminating or taking an “adverse action” against an adoption agency for this reason.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168431

House Bill 4190: Let adoption agencies refuse adoptions that violate moral convictions
Introduced by Rep. Eric Leutheuser (R) on February 13, 2015, to prohibit a state agency from discriminating or taking an “adverse action” against an adoption agency that refuses to assist or participate in an adoption or placement that violates its written religious or moral convictions. Specifically, to establish that an adoption agency that adopts this written policy is still eligible for required state licenses.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168432

House Bill 4191: Extend authority of public schools establishing public libraries
Introduced by Rep. Adam Zemke (D) on February 13, 2015, to repeal a 2015 sunset on a law that allows a public school district to establish a public library.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168433

House Bill 4192: Place precise definition of individual’s age in statute
Introduced by Rep. Erika Geiss (D) on February 13, 2015, to establish that for purposes of interpreting various statutes that specify a person’s age, “the applicable period is computed from the first minute of the day on which the individual is born.” Therefore, an “individual becomes one year older on the first minute of the anniversary date of the individual’s birth”.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168434

House Bill 4193: Allow electronic “proof of insurance”
Introduced by Rep. Aric Nesbitt (R) on February 13, 2015, to revise the state’s no-fault insurance law to allow “proof of insurance” documents motorists are required to have when driving to be an electronic communication from the insurance company.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168435

House Bill 4194: Repeal state “corporate welfare” programs
Introduced by Rep. Todd Courser (R) on February 13, 2015, to terminate the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, and prohibit its “parent” agency, the Michigan Strategic fund, from financing or supporting any further “corporate welfare” activity, including giving subsidies in the form of tax breaks, grants or loans to companies or developers selected by the political appointees on the agency’s board.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168436

House Bill 4195: Repeal government “venture capital investment” program
Introduced by Rep. Al Pscholka (R) on February 13, 2015, to repeal a 2003 law authorizing a state “early stage venture capital investment corporation” to solicit money from investors for investment in selected companies chosen by the corporation.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168437

House Bill 4196: Repeal government “venture capital investment” program
Introduced by Rep. Michael McCready (R) on February 13, 2015, to close down a state fund associated with a state “early stage venture capital investment corporation,” which House Bill 4195 proposes to terminate.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168438

House Bill 4197: Repeal government “venture capital investment” program
Introduced by Rep. Jeremy Moss (D) on February 13, 2015, to repeal a Dec. 31, 2015 sunset on a “commercial rehabilitation act” that authorizes property tax breaks for redevelopment projects involving commercial property selected by local governments.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168439

House Bill 4198: Revise “covenant not to compete” provision in anti-trust law
Introduced by Rep. Peter Lucido (R) on February 13, 2015, to revise a “covenant not to compete clause” provision in a state antitrust law. Currently, this permits an employer to obtain an agreement from an employee not to go into competition with the company. The bill would convert this into a provision allowing the buyer of a business to obtain a non-compete agreement from the seller.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168440

Senate Bill 85: Extend preemption of local gun control to air guns
Introduced by Sen. Dave Hildenbrand (R) on February 10, 2015, to revise the state law preempting restrictive local gun control ordinances so it applies to “pneumatic” guns, defined as ones that shoot “a BB or pellet by spring, gas, or air.” Locals could adopt restrictions on possession of these by minors, prohibit “brandishing” them to induce fear, or shooting in a heavily populated area.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168255

Senate Bill 86: Authorize more local “pension obligation bonds”
Introduced by Sen. Jack Brandenburg (R) on February 10, 2015, to extend for one year the Dec. 31, 2015 sunset on a law passed in 2012 to allow local governments to borrow money to cover unfunded employee pension liabilities, which is allowed if the local has closed its traditional “defined benefit” pension system to new employees. This would be the second extension of this deadline.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168256

Senate Bill 87: Exempt certain pension income from state income tax
Introduced by Sen. Patrick Colbeck (R) on February 10, 2015, to repeal the provision of Gov. Rick Snyder’s tax reform and business tax cut that partially eliminated some of the state income tax exemptions for pension income, and capped the value of income tax credits granted for payment of “homestead” property taxes.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168257

Senate Bill 88: Elect U.S. presidents by a national popular vote
Introduced by Sen. Rebekah Warren (D) on February 10, 2015, to enter into an interstate compact to elect U.S. presidents by a national popular vote.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168258

Senate Bill 89: Allow registered-by-mail voter to vote absentee in first election
Introduced by Sen. Rebekah Warren (D) on February 10, 2015, to allow a person to vote by absentee ballot in the first election after registering by mail to vote in a jurisdiction. Current law requires that such voters show up in person the first time that they vote in the new jurisdiction, but may vote by absentee ballot for all subsequent elections.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168259

Senate Bill 90: Create African-American Affairs Commission
Introduced by Sen. Rick Jones (R) on February 10, 2015, to create a government African-American Affairs Commission, with the mission of developing “a unified policy and plan of action to serve the needs of African-Americans in this state”.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168260

Senate Bill 91: Authorize Sleeping Bear Dunes license plate
Introduced by Sen. Darwin Booher (R) on February 10, 2015, to authorize a new license plate recognizing the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, and use the revenue to “preserve historic Sleeping Bear”.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168261

Senate Bill 92: Revise law enforcement accreditation procedures
Introduced by Sen. Tonya Schuitmaker (R) on February 10, 2015, to revise and update many details of the law governing the qualifications of law enforcement officers, which includes a very broad range of government officials empowered to enforce many different state statutes and regulatory regimes. Among other things the bill would replace law enforcement officer “certification” with a licensure system, authorize rules for mandatory license suspension or revocation and more.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168262

Senate Bill 93: Revise law enforcement accreditation
Introduced by Sen. Tonya Schuitmaker (R) on February 10, 2015, to revise details of allowable distributions to law enforcement agencies from a state “administration of Michigan justice training fund” to reflect changes proposed by Senate Bill 92.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168263

Senate Bill 94: Authorize “non-public” criminal record checks for prospective police
Introduced by Sen. Tonya Schuitmaker (R) on February 10, 2015, to require that the state entity responsible for certifying new law enforcement officers (the Michigan commission on law enforcement standards) be given access to non-public records of individuals who were given probation and “deferred sentencing” for a drug-related offense.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168264

Senate Bill 95: Revise law enforcement accreditation procedures
Introduced by Sen. Margaret O’Brien (R) on February 10, 2015, to revise references in the statute authorizing a state “justice system fund” to reflect changes proposed by Senate Bill 92 and others contained in some recently revised statutes.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168265

Senate Bill 96: Revise law enforcement accreditation procedures
Introduced by Sen. Margaret O’Brien (R) on February 10, 2015, to revise references in the state criminal code to reflect changes proposed by Senate Bill 92.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168266

Senate Bill 97: Require agencies disclose federal aid requests to legislature
Introduced by Sen. Mike Shirkey (R) on February 10, 2015, to require state agencies that apply for any form of federal or other financial assistance to notify legislative leaders, relevant committees and the legislature’s fiscal agencies within 10 days, with the notice including any conditions or stipulations associated with receiving the assistance.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168267

Senate Bill 98: Authorize certain community college bachelors degrees
Introduced by Sen. Mike Shirkey (R) on February 11, 2015, to allow community colleges to grant bachelor degrees in nursing, “ski area management,” wastewater treatment technology, “allied health,” information technology, and manufacturing technology. This would be in addition to community college bachelor degrees authorized by a 2012 law, which included cement technology, maritime technology, energy production technology and culinary arts.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168332

Senate Bill 99: Rename a road
Introduced by Sen. Mike Nofs (R) on February 11, 2015, to designate the I-94 business loop in Battle Creek as the “ Detective LaVern S. Brann Memorial Highway”.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168333

Senate Bill 100: Revise property tax appeal details
Introduced by Sen. Jack Brandenburg (R) on February 11, 2015, to repeal a law making prepayment of a disputed property tax levy, plus penalties and interest, a prerequisite for filing an appeal to the state court of claims of a state “tax tribunal” judgment on the validity of the levy.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168334

Senate Bill 101: Mandate employers provide paid sick leave
Introduced by Sen. Jim Ananich (D) on February 11, 2015, to mandate that employers must grant employees one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked, up to 40 hours annually for small businesses, and 72 hours annually for larger employers.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168335

Senate Bill 102: Give new school employees 401(k), not pensions
Introduced by Sen. Phil Pavlov (R) on February 11, 2015, to revise details of the school employee pension law to accommodate the proposal in Senate Bill 727 to close the current “defined benefit” pension system to new school employees hired starting July 1, 2015, and instead provide 401(k) contributions.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168336

Senate Bill 103: Reduce “student growth” portion of teacher rating criteria
Introduced by Sen. Phil Pavlov (R) on February 12, 2015, to move back until the 2018-19 school year the deadlines imposed by a 2011 law establishing a process for determining whether teachers are “effective” in which 22.5 percent of the assessment is based on the progress of students in their classroom on statewide tests. A school would be prohibited from assigning students to a class in the same subject for two years in a row taught by a teacher rated “ineffective” in that subject two years in a row. Nothing would prohibit continuing to assign new students to an ineffective teacher, however.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168382

Senate Bill 104: Authorize local aquatic invasive species regulations and fees
Introduced by Sen. Tom Casperson (R) on February 12, 2015, to allow local governments to impose regulations that exceed state requirements for the prevention, control, or eradication of aquatic invasive species in an inland lake. Local governments could also impose boat launch and parking fees of up to $10 per boat per day or $45 per boat per year to pay for this.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168383

Senate Bill 105: Establish state drawbridge operations fund
Introduced by Sen. Michael Green (R) on February 12, 2015, to create a state fund to subsidize the operational expenses of movable bridges (drawbridges, etc.), earmark some road tax revenue to the fund, and give the Department of Transportation regulatory authority over local moveable bridges.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168384

Senate Bill 106: Extend charity sales tax exemption
Introduced by Sen. Michael Green (R) on February 12, 2015, to veterans groups to greatly expand for nonprofit veterans organizations a sales tax exemption allowing charitable entities to sell up to $5,000 in merchandise annually for fundraising purposes. Under the bill, veterans organizations could sell up to $25,000 in goods at each individual fund-raising event they hold before incurring sales tax liability, if the sales benefit an active duty service member or a veteran.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168385

Senate Bill 107: Restrict marketing of mattresses as “new”
Introduced by Sen. Morris Hood, III (D) on February 12, 2015, to prohibit selling mattresses as “new” or custom-made if they are manufactured with any material from used mattresses.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168386

Senate Bill 108: Extend authority of public schools establishing public libraries
Introduced by Sen. Dale W. Zorn (R) on February 12, 2015, to repeal a 2015 sunset on a law that allows a public school district to establish a public library.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168387