Rep. Matt Longjohn

Maddy summaryHB 5028 amends Michigan's sentencing guidelines to update legal references related to prostitution offenses. It replaces terms like "prostitute" with more neutral language in sentencing calculations under MCL 777.16w. This change affects judges and courts when determining penalties for individuals convicted of prostitution-related crimes. The bill modifies how these offenses are described in legal guidelines but does not alter the actual penalties for the crimes.

Maddy summaryHB 5023 amends Michigan's child care licensing law (1973 PA 116) to strengthen background checks for individuals seeking child care licenses, staff positions, or household membership in child care settings. It prohibits licensing for applicants with certain criminal convictions, including child abuse, sexual assault, domestic violence, drug offenses (with 7-year waiting periods), and violent misdemeanors (with 5-year waiting periods). The bill also adds disqualification for convictions related to human trafficking, prostitution-related activities, or firearm use in crimes. This directly affects individuals applying for child care roles or operating child care facilities. The bill requires criminal history checks under Section 5n and specifies disqualifying offenses and waiting periods, but does not address prostitution laws directly despite the title's reference.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Michigan's State Housing Development Authority to make a standard form summarizing tenant rights (mandated under the Truth in Renting Act) available within 60 days of its creation. The form must be accessible in the Authority's office and on its website. It directly affects renters by ensuring they can easily find their rights information without needing to contact the court. The bill does not change tenant rights but streamlines access to an existing, court-created form.

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 5014 modifies Michigan's public health code to require courts to order confidential STI and HIV testing for individuals arrested or convicted of prostitution, commercial sexual activity, or related offenses (such as MCL 750.448-455). The bill mandates that courts direct testing for sexually transmitted infections, hepatitis, and HIV, with results reported to defendants and health departments. Courts must also order voluntary counseling about prevention, treatment, and protective measures for these conditions. This applies to all cases involving specified sex-related offenses under Michigan law, with testing conducted by licensed health providers.

Maddy summaryHB 5016 updates Michigan's penal code by replacing outdated terms like "prostitute" and "prostitution" with modern, less stigmatizing language such as "person engaged in commercial sexual activity." It specifically amends Section 167 to remove "common prostitute" from the definition of a disorderly person, changing the language to focus on conduct rather than labeling individuals. This bill directly affects how the law refers to and potentially prosecutes individuals involved in commercial sexual activity under current statutes. The changes aim to align terminology with contemporary legal standards without altering the underlying criminal penalties for related offenses.

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 4971 amends Michigan's Use Tax Act to clarify that promotional merchandise (including items like baby diapers) transferred to out-of-state customers via redemption offers qualifies for resale exemptions. It specifically updates Section 4(c)(i) to include promotional merchandise shipped outside Michigan as exempt from use tax, directly affecting retailers and businesses selling such items to out-of-state customers. The key mechanism expands existing resale exemptions to cover promotional goods sent to customers in other states, aligning with how businesses handle cross-state promotions. This change does not create new exemptions but clarifies existing rules for promotional sales. (Note: The bill title mentions "baby diapers," but the actual amendment applies broadly to all promotional merchandise, not specifically diapers.)

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.