House Bill 4408: Impose continuing education mandate on veterinarians
Passed 36 to 2 in the Senate on February 24, 2016, to impose a continuing education mandate on veterinarians as a condition of being allowed to practice their profession.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=726861
House Bill 4999: Let out of state veterinarians write Michigan prescriptions; raise fees
Passed 37 to 1 in the Senate on February 24, 2016, to allow veterinarians licensed in other states to have their prescriptions filled in Michigan (and let Michigan pharmacies fill them). The bill also raises veterinary licensure fees.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=726862
House Bill 5105: Extend Medicaid health insurance claims tax
Passed 21 to 17 in the Senate on February 24, 2016, to extend until 2020 the 2017 sunset on a 0.75 percent tax on health insurance claims, which is designed to “game†the federal Medicaid program in ways that result in higher federal payments to Michigan’s medical welfare establishment.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=726860
Senate Bill 811: Permit surrogate mother contracts
Introduced by Sen. Rebekah Warren (D) on February 23, 2016, to permit “gestational surrogate parentage” contracts. A 1988 law banned all surrogate mother contracts that require a woman to “relinquish her parental or custodial rights” to a child she bears whether she conceived the child or an embryo was implanted. The proposed new law would permit the latter – contracting for a woman to bear and relinquish an implanted child to whom she is not related - subject to various conditions specified in the bill and with the approval of a court in advance.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=172555
Senate Bill 812: Establish official state insect
Introduced by Sen. Jim Marleau (R) on February 23, 2016, to establish that henceforth the monarch butterfly and no other butterfly or bug shall be the state of Michigan’s official insect. Monarchs are reportedly the official insect in Texas, Alabama, West Virginia, Illinois, Minnesota, Vermont, and Idaho.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=172556
Senate Bill 813: Decriminalize marijuana
Introduced by Sen. Coleman Young, II (D) on February 24, 2016, to eliminate criminal sanctions for possession by adults of one ounce or less of marijuana, and authorize regulations on its production and sale. The bill authorizes an excise tax of $15 to $50 depending on the type of product.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=172569
Senate Bill 814: Appropriations: Supplemental budget
Introduced by Sen. Dave Hildenbrand (R) on February 24, 2016, to provide a template or “place holder” for a potential supplemental multidepartment appropriation for Fiscal Year 2015-2016. This bill contains no appropriations, but may be amended at a later date to include them.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=172570
Senate Bill 815: Appropriations: Supplemental school aid budget
Introduced by Sen. Dave Hildenbrand (R) on February 24, 2016, to provide a template or “place holder” for a potential supplemental school aid appropriation for Fiscal Year 2015-2016. This bill contains no appropriations, but may be amended at a later date to include them.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=172571
Senate Bill 816: Give free state park admission to all veterans
Introduced by Sen. Patrick Colbeck (R) on February 24, 2016, to waive state park and campground admission fees for all military veterans. Specifically, the bill grants these veterans the state’s vehicle registration “recreation passport” without having to pay the extra $11 charge.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=172572
Senate Bill 817: Give free fishing licenses to all veterans
Introduced by Sen. Patrick Colbeck (R) on February 24, 2016, to give all veterans and active military personnel free fishing licenses.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=172573
Senate Bill 818: Exempt yoga instruction schools from government “accreditation” mandate
Introduced by Sen. Tonya Schuitmaker (R) on February 24, 2016, to exempt yoga teacher training schools and programs from a 2009 law that imposes a mandate on private trade-schools (“proprietary schools”) that they be “accredited” by an accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=172574
Senate Bill 819: Overhaul Detroit school district debt and governance
Introduced by Sen. Goeff Hansen (R) on February 24, 2016, to revise the state school funding formula to accommodate Gov. Rick Snyder’s proposal to split the Detroit school district into two entities, one to run the schools and the other to service the district’s debt (see Senate Bill 710 and House Bill 5384). The former, a reconstituted “community district,” would get the same amount of funding as the current district. It would get that amount despite the fact that in Detroit’s case money from local school millages – a component of the state aid formula - would be diverted to paying off the district’s debt. That means this bill is essentially the “bail out” provision of Governor’s proposal (which Republican bills in both the House and Senate accept).
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=172575
Senate Bill 820: Overhaul Detroit school district debt and governance
Introduced by Sen. Goeff Hansen (R) on February 24, 2016, to permit the superintendent of the Detroit school district to also be the director of an administrative entity created to place a number of academically failed Detroit schools under a form of state receivership. The bill amends a law that defines “incompatible offices” that appointed or elected government officials are prohibited from serving in simultaneously.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=172577
Senate Bill 821: Overhaul Detroit school district debt and governance
Introduced by Sen. Goeff Hansen (R) on February 24, 2016, to essentially eliminate current statutory caps on the amount the state can lend for “financial emergency” loans to public school districts that spend more than they take in. This is to accommodate Gov. Rick Snyder’s proposal to bail out the insolvent Detroit school district by dividing it into two entities, one to run the schools and the other to service the district’s debt (see Senate Bill 710 and House Bill 5384).
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=172578
Senate Bill 822: Overhaul Detroit school district debt and governance
Introduced by Sen. Goeff Hansen (R) on February 24, 2016, to essentially eliminate current caps on the amount the state can lend for “financial emergency” loans to public school districts that spend more than they take in. This is to accommodate Gov. Rick Snyder’s proposal to bail out the insolvent Detroit school district by dividing it into two entities, one to run the schools and the other to service the district’s debt (see Senate Bill 710 and House Bill 5384).
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=172579
House Bill 5391: Ban home-based auto dealers
Introduced by Rep. George T. Darany (D) on February 18, 2016, to prohibit auto dealer businesses from being located in a residence.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=172527
House Bill 5392: Revise state seed testing law
Introduced by Rep. Brett Roberts (R) on February 23, 2016, to revise a law that authorizes the state to test agricultural seeds, by eliminating a requirement that the state maintain its own seed testing facility.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=172558
House Bill 5393: Revise “Business Improvement Zone” tax-and-spend entities
Introduced by Rep. Stephanie Chang (D) on February 23, 2016, to revise details of the seven to 10 year period that a “Business Improvement Zone” can operate without reauthorization. These zones have the power to impose property taxes (special assessments) to pay for the debt they incur to pay for projects that are supposed to benefit property owners in the zone.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=172559
House Bill 5394: Streamline licensure for new doctors in “underserved” area
Introduced by Rep. Edward Canfield (R) on February 23, 2016, to revise the licensure law mandates that require prospective physicians to undergo post-graduate “residency” or related requirements as a condition of licensure, if they agree to serve at least two years in a “medically underserved” area, subject to numerous requirements and exceptions specified in the bill.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=172605
House Bill 5395: Authorize larger state sewer system grants
Introduced by Rep. Joel Johnson (R) on February 24, 2016, to revise a state grant program for municipal sewer projects so that larger grants may be offered to a city where there is a “substantial public health risk from treatment system failure”.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=172604
House Bill 5396: Require detailed schools-hours noncompliance reports
Introduced by Rep. Joel Johnson (R) on February 23, 2016, to revise a requirement that school districts to certify that they have provided the number of instruction days and hours required by state law. The bill would require districts to report details of each instance of non-compliance, if any.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=172606
House Bill 5397: Appropriations: Supplemental budget
Introduced by Rep. Phil Phelps (D) on February 23, 2016, to provide a template or “place holder” for a potential Department of Transportation supplemental appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2015-2016. This bill contains no appropriations, but may be amended at a later date to include them..
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=172607
House Bill 5398: Authorize right-to-work exception
Introduced by Rep. Robert Kosowski (D) on February 23, 2016, to permit an employer to make paying union dues a condition of employment if a majority of employees in a workplace vote to impose this, subject to various conditions specified in the bill. The bill essentially provides a way for unions to side-step Michigan’s 2012 right-to-work law, which prohibits requiring workers to pay union dues as a condition of employment.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=172608
House Bill 5399: Authorize right-to-work exception
Introduced by Rep. Robert Kosowski (D) on February 23, 2016, to permit a unit of government including public schools to make paying union dues a condition of employment if a majority of employees in a workplace vote to impose this, subject to various conditions specified in the bill. The bill essentially provides a way for unions to side-step Michigan’s 2012 right-to-work law, which prohibits requiring workers to pay union dues as a condition of employment.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=172609
House Bill 5400: Expand scope of practice for nurses
Introduced by Rep. Ken Yonker (R) on February 23, 2016, to revise the “scope of practice” allowed for Advanced Practice Registered Nurse, making it possible for them to provide more medical services without being under the direct supervision of a physician.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=172610
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