Rep. Curt VanderWall

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Michigan's 2001 Manufacturing Milk Law to explicitly permit the sale of raw milk and raw milk products under the existing regulatory framework. It directly affects dairy producers and sellers who currently cannot legally sell these items under the law's current restrictions. The key change adds new Section 70a and revises Sections 111 and 136 to allow such sales while maintaining the law's overall structure. The bill updates the legal language to align with current market practices without creating new safety standards or requirements.

Maddy summaryHB 4692 creates a new license for "secondary school facilities" that provide cosmetology training in separate classroom settings, directly affecting cosmetology schools and their associated training locations. These facilities must not offer public services or contain equipment like hair-drying chairs, must be staffed by licensed instructors with 3+ years' experience, and require detailed floor plans and department inspections. License holders must display their license and instructor credentials visibly, and the license becomes void if ownership changes or the location shifts, requiring a new application. The bill also mandates the department to create implementing rules within 18 months of enactment.

Maddy summaryHB 4774 amends Michigan's procurement rules for state contracts involving architects, engineers, and land surveyors. It requires state agencies to use a competitive, qualifications-based selection process - evaluating firms on expertise, experience, and past performance - rather than lowest-cost bidding for these services. The bill mandates publishing project details, ranking qualified firms, and negotiating contracts with the top-ranked firm, with limited waivers allowed for emergencies or projects under $250,000. This directly affects state agencies and qualified professional firms when procuring these services for public projects.

Maddy summaryHB 4122 amends Michigan's food code to clarify requirements for cottage food operations, which are small-scale home-based businesses making non-potentially hazardous foods like baked goods and jams. The bill specifically updates definitions in Section 1105 to clarify rules about nonnutritive substances in confectionery products (e.g., candy), ensuring such substances must serve a functional purpose and not deceive consumers. It modifies existing safety standards to specify that nonnutritive objects embedded in candy must not make the product unsafe or misleading. These changes directly affect Michigan cottage food businesses and their compliance with labeling and safety regulations.

Maddy summaryHB 4285 requires Michigan schools to offer firearm safety instruction for students in grades 6-12 by September 2025. The state must create a model program (based on existing hunter safety standards) covering safe handling, cleaning, firearm types, and hunting practices, taught by certified instructors - **without bringing firearms into school buildings**. Schools may offer this as an optional extracurricular class or integrate it into existing courses, and students or parents may opt out without penalty. Completing the program counts toward the hunter safety certification needed for a hunting license. The bill directly affects all Michigan public schools and students in grades 6-12.

Maddy summaryHB 5078 designates a specific segment of M-22 in Leelanau County (from North Stallman Road to North Putnam Road) as the "Company K Indian Veterans 1st Michigan Sharpshooters Civil War Memorial Highway." The bill amends Michigan's Memorial Highway Act to add this official name, directly affecting signage and official records for that highway stretch. It is a purely commemorative measure with no policy changes or funding mechanisms, solely honoring the Civil War unit known as the 1st Michigan Sharpshooters.

Maddy summaryHB 5375 prohibits charging interest on unpaid restitution of overpaid unemployment benefits when the overpayment resulted from specific errors, such as agency mistakes, employer errors, or system issues - not the claimant's fault. It requires the unemployment agency to waive existing interest charges and refund payments made for those errors, with refunds due within 180 days of the law's effective date. The bill also stops interest from accruing during pending appeals and applies retroactively to overpayments from February 2020 through December 2026. This directly affects claimants who received overpayments due to errors beyond their control.

Maddy summaryHB 5357, the "Age-Appropriate Design Code Act," requires businesses meeting specific thresholds (e.g., $25 million+ annual revenue or handling data of 50,000+ consumers) to design online services, products, or features accessed by known minors (under 18) with privacy and safety as defaults. It prohibits "dark patterns" that manipulate user choices, bans collecting precise geolocation data without consent, and mandates age-appropriate settings for minors. The law applies to businesses operating in Michigan that process personal information of minors, creating civil penalties for violations. It establishes a fund to support enforcement and defines key terms like "known minor" and "business" to clarify compliance requirements.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 4425 creates the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Incentive Program in Michigan. This program aims to encourage companies to produce or blend sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) within the state by offering corporate income tax credits. The Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) will administer the program, certifying SAF that meets specific criteria, including source materials, technical standards, and a minimum 50% reduction in life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions compared to traditional jet fuel. The bill sets an annual cap on the total amount of tax credits approved, starting at $4.5 million for the 2025-2026 fiscal year and increasing to $9 million annually thereafter.