Rep. Tyrone Carter

Maddy summaryHB 5005 amends Michigan's unemployment benefits law to clarify when workers who leave jobs without notice may still qualify for benefits. It adds a new exception (subsection (iv)) allowing domestic violence victims to claim benefits without disqualification, provided they meet requirements under Section 29a. The bill also reinforces that workers absent for 3+ consecutive days without contacting their employer are presumed to have left voluntarily - unless they qualify for one of the specified exceptions. This change directly affects workers who leave employment due to domestic violence or other qualifying circumstances, ensuring they can access benefits without penalizing their former employers financially.

Maddy summaryHB 5007 amends Michigan's Employment Security Act to update how "employment" is defined for unemployment benefits eligibility. It changes the standard for classifying workers as employees (requiring benefits coverage) versus independent contractors, effective January 1, 2026. Under the new rule, most workers must be classified as employees unless they meet all three strict criteria: no employer control, services outside the employer's usual business, and the worker operating as an independent business. This directly affects employers and workers in Michigan who currently classify individuals as independent contractors, particularly in gig economy and service roles. The bill maintains current rules (using the IRS 20-factor test) until 2026, with specific exceptions for certain visa holders and federally certified employers.

Maddy summaryHB 4998 amends Michigan's Strategic Fund Act to require detailed annual reporting on state economic development funding. It mandates that the fund publicly disclose specific data for all recipients - including jobs created (including salaries), project types, financial assistance amounts, and repayment details - via its website and to lawmakers. The bill also requires immediate public reporting of bankruptcies involving recipients of large incentives ($500,000+), along with expanded reporting on tourism promotions, business development campaigns, and community revitalization projects. These provisions aim to increase transparency and accountability for how state funds are used to support nonprofits and businesses.

Maddy summaryHB 4999 creates the Michigan Nonprofit Development Fund (ND Fund) within the state treasury to support nonprofit organizations. The fund receives state appropriations and other assets, which the treasurer invests, with earnings credited back to the fund. Money in the fund can be used for grants to statewide nonprofit organizations, interest-free micro bridge loans, or administrative costs (up to 10% of annual funding), with excess funds over $5 million annually transferred to the general fund. This bill directly affects qualifying nonprofits receiving grants or loans, providing a dedicated funding mechanism for their services.

Maddy summaryHB 5003 amends Michigan's unemployment benefits law to make it easier for low-income recipients to avoid repaying wrongly paid benefits. It increases the income threshold for hardship waivers from 150% to 200% of the federal poverty guidelines, meaning more individuals with modest household incomes qualify for relief. The bill also maintains existing waiver conditions for cases involving employer errors or agency clerical mistakes, but explicitly excludes intentional fraud. This change directly affects Michigan unemployment benefit recipients who overpaid due to administrative errors or low income, reducing their financial burden.

Maddy summaryHB 5002 requires Michigan's unemployment agency to use simple, clear language in all communications with claimants and employers about benefits, taxes, and agency decisions. It mandates that explanations of denials, modifications, or benefit changes include specific facts about the case and the legal basis for the decision, all at a fourth-grade reading level. The bill also requires the agency to provide clear summaries of appeal rights and consolidate related decisions into single notifications. This directly affects individuals filing for unemployment and businesses managing unemployment tax accounts. The law aims to make the process more understandable without changing benefit eligibility rules.

Maddy summaryHB 4974 requires electric utilities in Michigan to reimburse certain individuals and local governments for costs incurred during power outages. It directly affects renters (whose landlords pay utilities) and local governments, providing $50 for outages lasting 4-24 hours (or actual food/lodging costs, whichever is higher) and $200 for outages over 24 hours. Local governments can also claim reimbursement for emergency services, warming/cooling centers, backup power, or other outage-related costs. Utilities must pay approved amounts within 30 days after the Michigan Public Service Commission reviews cost claims submitted within 90 days of the outage. This is an additional remedy beyond existing legal options.

Maddy summaryHB 4973 requires electric utilities in Michigan to automatically provide bill credits to customers experiencing power outages during a billing cycle. Residential customers receive credits ranging from $5 per hour for short outages up to $25 per hour for outages lasting 72+ hours, while nonresidential credits use a formula based on the customer's average hourly energy use. Credits apply to the next bill and carry forward if they exceed the current bill amount. The credits adjust every five years using the Consumer Price Index to account for inflation, as specified in the bill's Section 9g.

Maddy summaryHB 4978 amends Michigan's Public Utilities Act to change the process for utilities seeking rate increases. It requires electric utilities serving over 1 million customers to coordinate with the Public Service Commission (PSC) before filing rate cases to avoid overlapping filings, and the PSC may order a 21-day spacing between such filings. Gas utilities serving fewer than 1 million customers can now request partial, immediate rate relief, with the PSC required to decide within 180 days. If the PSC doesn't issue a final order within 180 days for a rate case, the utility may implement the proposed rate increase but must refund overpayments if the final order is lower.

Maddy summaryHB 4977 requires Michigan electric utilities to include standardized outage information on customer bills, directly affecting residential and business electricity users. The bill mandates disclosure of three specific metrics per billing cycle: the number of service interruptions lasting over 5 minutes, total interruption duration, and the number of momentary interruptions (under 5 minutes). Utilities must also annually report outage causes affecting over 1,000 customers, tree trimming efforts, grid reliability projects, and worst-performing circuits to the public service commission. Violations can result in fines up to $1,000 per incident, with customer reports or meter data used as evidence.