Hello
Friends,
Below is a
list of the legislation that came before the House this week (June 8th
through June 12th). Please
feel free to contact me (517.373.0826; andyschor@house.mi.gov)
if you have any questions or thoughts about any of the below bills.
Thank you!
Andy Schor
State
Representative
68th
District
Passed 6/8 – 6/12
Social Welfare Act Sunset Changes
HB 4434
(H-2) 6/9/2015, Passed 109-0
HB 4434
would amends the Social Welfare Act to extend sunsets on mandates that the
state cover 100% of administrative rates (including the $3.00 increase for
providers of foster care services, the administrative rate for providers of
foster care services for new foster cases, and the rate increase to providers
of residential foster care services under a DHS contract) for providers of
foster care services and instead make these requirements subject to
appropriations. Currently, whenever the state is able to cover these costs, the
Act must be updated to reflect this. Under the bill, the state would be
required to cover these costs subject to appropriations through fiscal year
2016.
Budget Implementation Bills
HB 4441 6/9/15,
Passed 108-1
HB 4451
(S-1) 6/9/15, Passed 62-47
HB 4441 is a
Fiscal Year (FY) 2015-2016 budget implementation bill for the Department of
Environmental Quality (DEQ) budget. This bill amends the Natural Resources
Environmental Protection Act (NREPA) to extend sunsets on various fees by
another four-years. HB 4451 is a Fiscal Year (FY) 2015-2016 budget
implementation bill for the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development
(MDARD) budget. The bill amends the Michigan Commercial Feed Law (hereinafter
“Feed Law”) to increase various feed bills and to update and modernize the Act
General Property Tax Amendment
SB 217 6/9/15,
Passed 89-20
SB 217 would
amend the General Property Tax Act to allow a parcel of property that contains
a combination of agricultural use property and productive forest to be
considered qualified forest property with regard to eligibility for an
exemption from school operating taxes.
Roads Package
HB 4605
(H-1) 6/10/15, Passed 62-47
HB 4606
(H-1) 6/10/15, Passed 64-45
HB 4607
(H-1) 6/10/15, Passed 60-49
HB 4608
(H-1) 6/10/15, Passed 59-50
HB 4609 6/10/15,
Passed 57-52
HB 4610 6/10/15,
Passed 63-46
HB 4611 6/10/15,
Passed 65-44
HB 4612
(H-3) 6/10/15, Passed 59-50
HB 4613
(H-3) 6/10/15, Passed 100-9
HB 4614
(H-1) 6/10/15, Passed 59-50
HB 4615
(H-1) 6/10/15, Passed 58-51
HB 4616
(H-1) 6/10/15, Passed 58-51
House Bill
4605 (H-1) amends the Income Tax Act to earmark the following amounts from
individual income tax revenue for distribution under Public Act 51 of 1951 for
State and local road programs. House Bill 4606 (H-1) amends the General Sales
Tax Act to, beginning in fiscal year 2016, redirect the General Fund portion of
sales tax revenue derived from motor fuel sales for State and local road
programs. House Bill 4607 (H-1) amends the Michigan Trust Fund Act to, beginning
in fiscal year 2017, redirect $75 million each year of Tobacco Settlement
Revenue from the 21st Century Jobs Fund to the Michigan Transportation Fund to
be distributed to State and local road programs. House Bill 4608 (H-1) amends
the Michigan Strategic Fund (MSF) Act to, beginning in fiscal year 2017,
provide for the deposit each year from the MSF an amount equal to the amount
received from Indian Gaming Compact receipts to the Michigan Transportation
Fund for distribution to State and local road programs. House Bill 4609
eliminates the State Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) beginning in tax year
2015, by reducing the rate of the credit from 6% of the federal credit to 0%.
House Bill 4610 requires a county road commission to use competitive bidding
for a road project in which a township, or combination of two townships,
contributes 50% or more of the cost of the project and requests the road
commission to use competitive bidding. House Bill 4611 requires all road
construction and preservation projects of a local road agency whose cost
exceeds $100,000 to be performed by contract awarded by competitive bidding
unless the local road agency affirmatively finds that some other method is in
the public interest. House Bill 4612 (H-2) establishes a vehicle registration
tax surcharge of $30 for hybrid vehicles and $100 for fully electric vehicles.
HB 4613 (H-3) amends warranty requirements for MDOT projects, establishes
warranty provisions for the first time for local road agency projects, and
establishes reporting requirements for MDOT and local road agencies for
warranty and certain non-warranty projects.
House Bills
4614-4616 comprise a tie-barred bill package to: Increase the diesel tax from
15 cents per gallon to 19 cents per gallon (the current tax rate on gasoline)
[HB 4615] and apply the increase to interstate motor carriers (HB 4616). Apply the fuel tax to alternative fuels
including natural gas and hydrogen based on gallon equivalents and establish
provisions for collecting the fuel tax on alternative fuels (HB 4615 and HB
4616). Establish a license fee for alternative fuel commercial users ($50) and
dealers ($500) and increase the fee for propane dealers (from $50 to $500) [HB
4615]. Provide for an annual inflationary adjustment to the cents per gallon tax
on gasoline, diesel, and alternative fuels (HB 4615 and HB 4616) based on the
U.S. Consumer Price Index for all urban consumers rounded up to the nearest
1/10 of a cent. Increase the penalty for using dyed (untaxed) diesel fuel for
on-road purposes (HB 4615). Amend the Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Revenue
Equalization Act to ensure the collection of the 6% use tax on alternative
fuels or gasoline used by interstate motor carriers, when applicable (HB 4614).
Religious Adoption Bill
HB 4188 6/10/15,
Passed 65-44
HB 4188 creates
a new act that will prohibit requiring child placing agencies from providing
services if providing those services would violate the agency’s sincerely held
religious beliefs. The S-1 substitute includes language that requires a child
placing agency that declines to provide any services to provide, in writing,
information advising the applicant of the DHHS website – the Michigan Adoption
Resource Exchange – and a list of adoption or foster care service providers
contact information. Agencies that declined to provide services were already
required to promptly refer the applicant to the DHHS website or another agency
willing to provide services.
Change standard from “negligence”
to “willful & wanton disregard for safety” of the participant under the
exception to immunity from liability for equine activities
HB 4175 6/11/15,
Passed 64-44
HB 4175
would eliminate reference to a "negligent act" and, instead, replace
it with "an act or omission that constitutes a willful or wanton disregard
for the safety of the participant that constitutes a proximate cause of the
injury." Senate Substitute: leaves
the liability threshold for equine professionals and equine activity sponsors
at "willful and wanton disregard" but changed the language to state
that other persons would remain at the current threshold of a "negligent act".
Building Officials and Inspectors
Registration Act Amendment
HB 4245 6/11/15,
Passed 108-0
HB 4245
amends the Building Officials and Inspectors Registration Act to remove the
requirement that to be registered as a building official, plan reviewer, or
inspector, the individual be employed by an enforcing agency. The S-1 clarifies
the registration/renewal date to be by September 17 every three years beginning
in 2015 for building inspectors to register with the Department of Licensing
and Regulatory Affairs.
Budget Implementation Bill
HB 4447 6/11/15,
Passed 96-12
HB 4447 is a
Fiscal Year (FY) 2015-2016 budget implementation bill for the Licensing and
Regulatory Affairs (LARA) budget and the Department of Community Health (DCH)
budget. This bill amends the Public Health Code to establish and increase
various health care facility fees, and decrease others. The bill also
establishes an ambulance QAAP to increase reimbursements to Medicaid ambulance
providers. Finally, the bill increases, for one year, the hospital QAAP in
order to free up General Fund to pay for other items, such as GME and special
rural hospitals.
Mid-Year General Fund Supplement
HB 4101 6/11/15,
Passed 109-0
House Bill
4101 (S-1) is a Fiscal Year (FY) 2014-2015 mid-year General Fund supplemental
to provide funding to allow the state to attempt to buy back two-years-worth of
tax vouchers issued due to the Venture Michigan Fund (VMF I).
Unlimited Tax Election Act Lien
HB 4495
(H-1) 6/11/2015, Passed 108-1
HB 4495
creates a statutory first lien on all taxes subject to an unlimited tax pledge
made under the Unlimited Tax Election Act and establishes a trust for the
owners of the unlimited tax pledge securities.
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