Rep. Carrie Rheingans

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Michigan's human trafficking laws to allow courts to accept expert testimony from witnesses with specialized knowledge in criminal justice, behavioral sciences, or victim services. These experts can explain how trafficking victims often behave differently than expected and help juries understand the complex dynamics of trafficking cases. While the law already permits victim testimony without corroboration, this change specifically enables qualified experts to offer opinions on victim responses and behaviors during trials. However, the bill explicitly prohibits these experts from giving opinions on the credibility of other witnesses, including the victim, to maintain a clear distinction between behavioral analysis and character judgment. Both the prosecution and defense are permitted to call such experts to testify in human trafficking prosecutions.

Maddy summaryThis bill clarifies that health club owners, operators, and employees have no legal duty to provide emergency services when using an automated external defibrillator (AED) on their premises. It achieves this by amending the existing Good Samaritan Act to explicitly state that individuals are not required to render emergency aid in these situations. The legislation also confirms that this change does not restrict the protections already available under the state's Good Samaritan Act for other types of emergency assistance.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the state to avoid policies that conflict with federal rules for certified community behavioral health clinics. It mandates the creation of a process to determine where new clinic sites should be located to prevent overlapping service areas. Additionally, the state must continue cooperating with the federal government on these clinics unless the legislature votes to stop such participation. The bill does not take effect until another related piece of legislation is passed.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies the Insurance Provider Assessment Act to clarify how revenue collected from insurance companies is managed and spent. It establishes rules for depositing funds into a state treasury account, directing the state treasurer to invest the money and credit interest earnings back to the fund. The legislation specifies that these funds can only be used for designated purposes, such as paying Medicaid managed care rates, offsetting revenue losses from previous health insurance assessments, covering administrative costs, and funding a health data utility with amounts that increase annually and adjust for inflation. Additionally, the bill ensures that any leftover money remains in the fund rather than being returned to the general state treasury. The changes will not take effect unless a companion bill, House Bill No. 5283, is also passed into law.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates Michigan's health education standards to require middle and high school students to receive instruction in cardiopulmonary resuscitation, automated external defibrillator use, and first aid response kits. The curriculum must be based on guidelines from recognized organizations like the American Red Cross or the American Heart Association and should include hands-on practice for students physically able to participate. Schools are permitted to use various community professionals, such as paramedics or firefighters, to teach these skills, while online-only programs are exempt from the hands-on requirement. Additionally, the law clarifies that regular teachers do not need CPR certification unless they are teaching a course that results in an official certification card for the students.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs the Michigan Health Information Technology Commission to select a nonprofit organization to operate a state-wide health data utility by issuing a request for proposals no later than March 1, 2025. The designated entity will be responsible for combining and sharing clinical data from various health care providers to improve care coordination, reduce medical errors, and lower costs. The law requires the selected organization to ensure that only trusted data-sharing organizations can access the system while strictly protecting patient privacy and complying with federal and state laws. Additionally, the commission must develop a strategic plan outlining standards and timelines for implementing this interoperable system to benefit hospitals, physicians, and other health care entities.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates Michigan's marriage license laws by increasing the standard fee from $20 to $50 and raising the additional fee for nonresidents from $10 to $25. It requires applicants to provide a birth certificate or other proof of age and directs $15 of each collected fee to fund domestic violence and child abuse counseling services. Large charter counties are given the option to set their own license fees, provided they allocate the collected money to the same counseling services and do not charge more than the actual cost of providing those services.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates Michigan's penal code by changing the age threshold for child enticement related to prostitution from under 16 to under 18. It directly affects individuals accused of taking or enticing minors for sexual activities by increasing the age of protection under the law. The bill also modifies the definition of racketeering to include specific offenses such as child sexually abusive activity and internet crimes involving minors. Additionally, it removes a repealed section from the penal code to ensure the statutes remain current.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands the ability of juvenile offenders in Michigan to have their criminal records expunged, specifically adding provisions for individuals who were victims of human trafficking. It allows eligible juveniles to apply to have their adjudications set aside after a one-year waiting period, provided they meet specific criteria regarding the number and type of offenses committed. The process requires applicants to submit detailed information, undergo fingerprint checks, and notify relevant legal authorities, while also granting victims of assaultive crimes the right to be notified and participate in the hearing. Ultimately, the court retains the discretion to approve or deny these applications based on whether setting aside the record is consistent with public welfare, except in cases where mandatory expunction applies under the new provisions.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Michigan's Youth Tobacco Act to allow licensed tobacco retailers to sell products at temporary locations like fairs, festivals, and farmers' markets. To comply with the law, retailers must prominently display their license certificate and specific warning signs within six feet of every point of sale at these events. The legislation also establishes administrative fines of $50 per day for failing to display the license and up to $2,500 for failing to display the required warning signs. However, the bill does not take effect until three other related bills are also passed into law.