HB 4659 allows Michigan state employees to name a special needs trust as a beneficiary for their retirement benefits, expanding current options that only permitted family members (like spouses or children). This change directly affects state employees with disabled family members who rely on government benefits, as naming a trust protects beneficiaries' eligibility for programs like Medicaid without disrupting retirement payments. The bill amends Section 31 of the State Employees' Retirement Act to explicitly include special needs trusts in the list of permitted beneficiaries, replacing the current restriction to family relationships. This policy change ensures retirement benefits can continue to support disabled dependents while maintaining their access to public assistance programs.
HB 4657 allows Michigan state police retirees to name a special needs trust as a beneficiary for their retirement payments. The bill amends the State Police Retirement Act to explicitly permit the retirement system to pay benefits directly to such a trust upon written direction from the retiree or their designated beneficiary. This change affects state police members who have established special needs trusts under federal law (42 USC § 1396p(d)(4)(A)/(C)) and wish to provide for dependents with disabilities. The key provision replaces previous restrictions that required individual beneficiaries, enabling trusts to receive payments without requiring the retiree to name a specific person.
HB 5251 requires Michigan's medical assistance program (Medicaid for low-income residents) to cover prescribed pediatric extended care for children. This specifically affects low-income children in Michigan who need specialized, long-term medical care beyond standard hospital stays. The bill amends state law to mandate this coverage under existing rules for pediatric extended care (Part 219A of the Public Health Code). The coverage would apply to children receiving medically necessary care as prescribed by a doctor. The bill is contingent on the passage of companion legislation (HB 5252).
SB 895 modifies Michigan's habitual offender sentencing guidelines to adjust how prior felony convictions increase penalties for new crimes. The bill establishes three tiers based on the number of prior convictions: one prior felony can lead to a sentence up to 1.5 times the standard maximum, two prior felonies can result in a sentence up to twice the standard maximum, and three or more prior felonies can trigger a mandatory minimum of 25 years for serious crimes. These provisions apply to individuals convicted of felonies in Michigan or those that would be considered felonies if committed in the state, regardless of where the prior convictions occurred. The legislation also includes specific rules to prevent double-counting of convictions from the same incident and excludes any prior convictions that occurred more than 10 years before the new offense.
This House resolution calls for an investigation into a February 2026 missile strike on a primary school in Iran that reportedly killed over 100 children. It urges the House and Senate Armed Services committees to examine how the attack occurred, focusing on potential intelligence errors and decision-making processes that may have violated international laws of war. The bill also demands the resignation of Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, arguing that he bears responsibility for the actions of the Department of War. By requesting these specific actions, the resolution seeks to address alleged war crimes and prevent future incidents involving civilian casualties.
This legislative resolution asks the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Michigan State Housing Development Authority to boost funding for maintaining, repairing, and building new subsidized housing. It also requests that these agencies ensure public housing authorities strictly follow federal and state laws regarding health, safety, and living conditions. As a non-binding resolution, it does not change laws or allocate money but serves to formally urge these organizations to take specific actions.
SB 879 is a Michigan state bill that establishes a supplemental budget plan for the 2026-2027 fiscal year. It allocates funds to various state departments, agencies, the judicial branch, and the legislative branch. The bill includes specific conditions on how the appropriated money can be spent and outlines procedures for distributing these funds. This legislation directly impacts state government operations by providing financial resources for their ongoing activities.
This bill provides additional funding to various state departments, agencies, the judicial branch, and the legislative branch for the 2025-2026 fiscal year. It establishes the specific amount of money each entity receives and sets conditions on how those funds can be spent. The legislation creates a formal appropriation act to authorize the expenditure of these resources across multiple branches of state government.
This bill establishes a supplemental appropriations package for Michigan state government agencies, the judicial branch, and the legislative branch for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025. It authorizes funding allocations to various departments and agencies to support their operations and programs during this period. The legislation includes specific conditions on how the appropriated funds may be used and outlines procedures for the expenditure of these resources. Introduced by Senator Sarah Anthony, the bill is currently under consideration by the Senate Committee of the Whole.
This bill appropriates supplemental funding for Michigan public schools for the 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 fiscal years, allocating money from multiple state funds including the state school aid fund, general fund, and various reserve funds. The legislation specifies exact dollar amounts for each fiscal year and outlines how funds from different sources must be spent, with general fund money required to be used before state school aid fund money. It also establishes an 11-installment payment schedule for distributing funds to school districts and intermediate districts, with provisions for advance payments in cases of temporary, nonrecurring needs.
This bill amends Michigan's Consumer Protection Act to prohibit merchants from charging consumers prices that are grossly in excess of what similar products or services cost elsewhere. It directly affects businesses and consumers by establishing clearer rules against predatory pricing practices. The key provision adds a new unfair practice definition that makes it unlawful to charge prices significantly higher than market rates for comparable goods or services. This change aims to protect consumers from price gouging while maintaining the existing framework of consumer protection laws.
This bill establishes a new road usage charge for electric vehicles, self-charging hybrids, and plug-in hybrids in Michigan, starting on January 1, 2027. Vehicle owners can choose between paying a flat annual registration fee or a mileage-based tax that accounts for miles driven within the state. The mileage option requires owners to allow their vehicle's odometer data to be reported to the state, with penalties for tampering with odometers or misreporting mileage. Funds collected from these taxes will be used to administer the program or deposited into the state's transportation fund. The bill also sets rules for how the state will contract with a private company to manage the mileage tracking and billing system.
