House of Representatives Week in Review: November 10th - 14th

Hello Friends,

Below please find an update on legislation passed by the House of Representatives this week.  I hope you’ll feel free to contact me (517.373.0826; andyschor@house.mi.gov) if you have questions or thoughts about any of the below bills. 

Thank you! 

Andy Schor

State Representative
68th District

Include human trafficking in offenses that could trigger a nuisance abatement process

HB 5230, 11/12/14, Passed: 77-33
Amends the public nuisance abatement law to list human trafficking among the offenses that could trigger a nuisance abatement process. It also increases the penalty for violating a nuisance abatement order, among other changes.

Reduce the meeting requirement of the Electronic Recording Commission

HB 5812, 11/12/14, Passed: 108-0
Amends the Uniform Real Property Electronic Recording Act to reduce the meeting requirement of the Electronic Recording Commission from quarterly to annually.

Revise state definition of “firearm” so that certain devices aren’t included

HB 5450, 11/12/14, Passed: 106-2
Aligns the state definition of “firearm” with the federal definition so that devices such as pellet and air-soft guns will not be classified as firearms.

Removes unnecessary statutory references from the state gun law

HB 5748, 11/12/14, Passed: 106-2
Removes a statutory reference from the state gun law. The reference is no longer law due to legislation enacted last session.

Repeal penalties for minors who possess a BB gun without adult accompaniment

HB 5749, 11/12/14, Passed: 102-6
Repeals the regulation of and criminal penalty (misdemeanor) for minors who possess a BB gun without being accompanied by an adult. 

Revise penal code definition of “firearm” so that certain devices aren’t included

HB 5750, 11/12/14, Passed: 101-7
Amends the Michigan Penal Code to align the state definition of “firearm” with the federal definition so that devices such as pellet and air-soft guns will not be classified as firearms.

Expands the annual reporting requirements for the Michigan Strategic Fund

HB 4480, 11/13/14, Passed: 107-3
Expands the annual reporting requirements for the Michigan Strategic Fund.

Clean ups to the Michigan Strategic Fund package

HB 4481, 11/13/14, Passed: 106-1
Implements essentially a “clean up” bill in the Michigan Strategic Fund package.

Expands powers given to the Michigan Strategic Fund

HB 4482, 11/13/14, Passed: 77-30
Expands the powers given to the Michigan Strategic Fund (MSF) under the Michigan Strategic Fund Act.

Designates an M-64 bridge as the "Ontonagon County Veterans Memorial Bridge”

HB 5715, 11/13/14, Passed: 107-0
Designates the bridge on M-64 over the Ontonagon River as the "Ontonagon County Veterans Memorial Bridge.”

FY 13-14 and FY 14-15 supplemental appropriations

SB 781, 11/13/14, Passed: 92-15
Senate Bill 781 is a multidepartment multiyear supplemental, including a fiscal year 2013-2014 year-end supplemental and a fiscal year 2014-2015 mid-year supplemental. For FY 13-14, these supplemental adjustments reduce the state budget by $450.1 million in total gross appropriations ($45.2 million GF/GP). However, most of these reductions are driven by caseload adjustments in the Department of Community Health and the Department of Human Services. For FY 14-15, these supplemental adjustments increase the state budget by $43.4 million in total gross appropriations ($30.4 million GF/GP). The largest portion of this increase is associated with the recent flooding in southeast Michigan.

Exempts certain mining operations from the inland lakes and streams permit requirement

HB 4401, 11/13/14, Passed: 68-39
Exempts certain mining operations from the inland lakes and streams permit requirement.

Creates a loan program for information, communications, and technology improvements

HB 4157, 11/13/14, Passed: 90-17
Creates a loan program for information, communications, and technology improvements. It essentially codifies existing boilerplate for the Department of Technology, Management, and Budget within the General Government budget.

Extend term of installment contracts for Community College energy conservation improvements

HB 5806, 11/13/14, Passed: 106-1
The Community Colleges Act allows energy conservation improvements to be made to community college facilities which can be paid for by an installment contract or issuing notes. The Act states that an installment contract or notes issued shall extend for a period of time not to exceed 10 years. Under House Bill 5806, the time could not exceed 25 years from the date of energy conservation improvements.

Extends the sunset for a county board of commissioners to assume powers of a road commission

HB 5117, 11/13/14, Passed: 99-8
HB 5118, 11/13/14, Passed: 99-8
These two bills extend the January 1, 2015 sunset on the authority of a county board of commissioners to assume the powers, duties, and functions of a county road commission to January 1, 2018.

Limits liens attached to properties in certain special assessment situations

HB 5202, 11/13/14, Passed: 106-1
Specifies that if a township board provides that a special assessment is payable in installments, then the amount of any lien on the parcel is limited to each individual installment and shall not attach to the property until that individual installment is due.

Require courts to receive a mother’s affidavit as evidence of the father’s identity or location

HB 5825, 11/13/14, Passed: 107-0
Requires courts to receive a mother’s affidavit or verified written declaration in lieu of live testimony as evidence of the identity and whereabouts of the child’s father. If the court determines the affidavit or verified written declaration is insufficient, the court must allow amendment of the affidavit or verified written declaration.

Allows compensation of a member on a library board of directors

HB 5617, 11/13/14, Passed: 103-4
Allows compensation of a member on a library board of directors, up to $30 per meeting for up to 52 meetings per year.

Updates the definition of “public nudity” to exclude expressing breast milk

HB 5678, 11/13/14, Passed: 106-0
HB 5679, 11/13/14, Passed: 106-0
HB 5680, 11/13/14, Passed: 106-0
HB 5681, 11/13/14, Passed: 106-0
Updates the definition of “public nudity” to exclude expressing breast milk. Local laws already exclude a woman breastfeeding from the definition of “public nudity,” but updates are necessary to exclude expressing breast milk due to the enactment of HB 5591-5592 (Price, Lyons).

Stipulates that a drainage district has the right to acquire property

HB 5684, 11/13/14, Passed: 103-3
Stipulates that a drainage district has the right to acquire property, by gift, purchase, or eminent domain, among other methods.

Allow a municipality to apply for and petition for establishment of an intercounty drain

HB 5685, 11/13/14, Passed: 106-0
HB 5686, 11/13/14, Passed: 104-2
Amends the procedures for establishing intercounty drainage districts and intercounty drains to allow a municipality to apply for and petition for establishment of an intercounty drain. The (H-1) keeps the current law term of “freeholder” rather than changing it to “landholder,” as “freeholder” is already defined in the Act.

HB 5686 allows county drain commissions to petition for the establishment of an intercounty drainage district or intercounty drain.

Provides greater oversight of mobile home parks

HB 5513, 11/13/14, Passed: 106-0
House Bill 5513 (H-3) (SCHOR) provides greater departmental and local oversight of mobile home parks, as well as improved remedies for health and safety violations.