Rep. Joey Andrews

Maddy summaryHB 5401 extends the deadline for granting new exemptions under Michigan's Attainable Housing Facilities Act from December 31, 2027, to December 31, 2037. This directly affects developers and property owners seeking new exemptions for affordable housing projects under the Act. Existing exemptions granted before the new deadline will continue until their certificate expires, ensuring no disruption to ongoing projects. The bill amends Section 16 of the 2022 Attainable Housing Facilities Act (MCL 207.916) to update the sunset provision.

Maddy summaryHB 5395 modifies Michigan's Brownfield Redevelopment Financing Act to update tax credit rules for cleaning and redeveloping contaminated properties. The bill revises definitions of "blighted" property (including previously developed land and land bank properties) and clarifies how tax revenue captured during redevelopment - specifically construction-phase income taxes on wages - will be calculated and reinvested. Local authorities, developers, and municipalities working on brownfield sites will directly use these revised rules for tax increment financing. The changes aim to streamline financing for projects that clean up environmental hazards while redeveloping underutilized land.

Maddy summaryHB 5389 modifies how Michigan manages state funds for specific projects (called "work projects"). It requires that such projects must have a clear purpose, specific plan, estimated cost, and completion date to qualify. The bill also changes the timeframe for unused funds to expire (48 months after the fiscal year ends) and gives the director authority to propose lapsing project accounts, but requires both legislative committees to disapprove such proposals within 30 days. Additionally, it mandates annual reports to committees detailing all active work project accounts, their balances, and any funds that lapsed.

Maddy summaryHB 5394 requires Michigan's unemployment insurance agency to automatically waive repayment of benefits improperly paid due to the agency's own administrative or clerical errors, rather than requiring claimants to seek a waiver through a separate process. This applies specifically when overpayments result from the agency's mistakes (e.g., data entry errors), excluding cases involving fraud, identity theft, or intentional misrepresentation by claimants. The bill ensures claimants affected by such agency errors do not face repayment demands or interest, streamlining relief for those who received benefits due to the state's administrative errors. It does not change eligibility rules or apply to overpayments caused by claimant error or fraud.

Maddy summaryHB 5393 amends Michigan's unemployment benefits law to change how overpaid benefits are recovered. It requires the unemployment agency to issue a repayment demand within 3 years of a final determination about overpayment, and prohibits recovery actions after that deadline (except for suspected identity fraud). The bill creates specific waiver conditions where repayment may be forgiven, including cases of agency errors, low household income (below 150% of federal poverty guidelines), or unintentional wage reporting mistakes by employers. This directly affects unemployed Michiganders who received incorrect benefits, ensuring they aren't required to repay overpayments after the 3-year window unless fraud is involved.

Maddy summaryHB 5392 updates Michigan's unemployment benefits recovery process by expanding eligibility for claimants to request waivers of repayment for improperly paid benefits. It allows claimants 60 days after receiving an overpayment notice to submit evidence showing repayment would be "contrary to equity and good conscience," such as administrative errors by the agency, employer-provided incorrect wage data, or household income below 150% of the federal poverty level. The bill clarifies that waivers apply retroactively from the date of the error or application, and requires refunds for payments made after the waiver request. This directly affects individuals who received unemployment benefits they later had to repay due to agency or employer errors.

Maddy summaryHB 5374 requires that workers on specific broadband service projects in Michigan be paid prevailing wages and fringe benefits, as defined by state labor law. This applies to broadband developers constructing, maintaining, or expanding infrastructure (like fiber optic lines) for new projects funded by state or local governments, but excludes projects receiving federal funding under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act or the Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund. The bill amends Michigan’s existing prevailing wage law to explicitly include broadband service projects under the same wage standards as other state-funded construction work. It defines key terms like "broadband service project" and clarifies which federal programs are exempt from these requirements.

Maddy summaryThis resolution (HR 227) urges the U.S. House of Representatives to investigate allegations that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth authorized military actions in the Caribbean Sea that killed at least one unarmed civilian fisherman, with no public evidence the individual was a combatant. If evidence supports these allegations, it calls for the House to introduce and adopt articles of impeachment against Hegseth for potential violations of federal law, international humanitarian law, and the Constitution. The resolution references the War Powers Resolution, the War Crimes Act, and the Geneva Conventions to frame the alleged misconduct. It does not create new law but formally requests the House take specific action. (Procedural resolution; summary limited to 2 sentences as instructed.)

Maddy summaryHB 4314 amends Michigan's environmental law to allow property owners and communities to remove free-floating debris and uprooted vegetation from shorelines without a permit. Specifically, it permits mechanical or manual removal between the ordinary high-water mark and the water's edge, as long as the activity doesn't impact the lakebed. This change directly affects residents, shoreline property managers, and local groups maintaining areas along Great Lakes and Lake St. Clair shorelines. The exemption does not apply to the St. Clair River delta area in Clay Township, St. Clair County, as defined in 1899 PA 175.

Maddy summaryHB 5349 requires Michigan's Department of Health to create standardized forms for two types of school immunization exemptions. Medical exemptions (for health reasons) must include details like the vaccine type, reason for exemption, and expiration date. Non-medical exemptions (for religious or other objections) must include education about vaccine benefits and risks, require in-person form pickup from a health department, and include witnessed signatures. This bill directly affects parents seeking exemptions, schools requiring immunization records, and local health departments distributing the forms.