Rep. Jason Woolford

Maddy summaryHB 4896 amends Michigan's medical licensing law to ensure international medical graduates face the same requirements as U.S. or Canadian graduates when applying for a medical license. Specifically, it prohibits the Michigan Board of Medicine from imposing stricter conditions on foreign-trained doctors than those applied to domestic graduates. The bill directly affects physicians trained outside the U.S. or Canada seeking to practice medicine in Michigan. This change removes potential barriers for international medical school graduates by mandating equal licensing standards under Section 17011(3). The bill is currently in committee review after its first reading in September 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 4277 amends Michigan's health licensing law to remove all questions about applicants' mental health from license applications, except for two specific questions already required: whether an applicant poses a risk to patient safety and whether they can perform essential job functions. This change affects health professionals seeking initial licensure or renewal, including doctors, dentists, and nurses. The bill prohibits the department from including any additional mental health inquiries on application forms. It directly simplifies the licensing process by limiting mental health disclosures to the two existing questions.

Maddy summaryHB 4486 prohibits Michigan municipalities from banning natural gas use or the installation of natural gas infrastructure, directly affecting cities, towns, counties, and townships. The bill makes any local ordinance, resolution, or policy that restricts natural gas use or infrastructure void and unenforceable starting from its effective date. It specifically targets bans on residential, commercial, or industrial natural gas applications and related infrastructure like pipelines. This legislation ensures that local governments cannot block natural gas services or new installations within their jurisdictions.

Maddy summaryHB 5059 allows liquor vendors, their sales staff, or third-party engravers to personalize bottles of spirits sold by licensed distributors in Michigan. It permits engraving before sale (at the distributor's location) or after purchase (with the bottle returned to the distributor's premises for engraving and pickup). The bill clarifies that retailers holding engraved bottles for consumer pickup does not violate existing liquor laws. This directly affects spirits distributors, vendors, engraving businesses, and consumers seeking customized bottles.

Maddy summaryHB 5447 modifies Michigan's probation rules to allow eligible individuals to seek early termination from probation. It permits probationers to apply for early discharge after completing half their original probation term (for both felonies and misdemeanors), provided they've completed required programming and made good-faith efforts to pay fines/fees. The bill prohibits disqualification solely due to unpaid financial obligations but excludes certain offenses like domestic violence (MCL 750.81/81a), sexual assault, or drug crimes from early discharge eligibility. Courts must consider victim input in cases involving specific offenses and report annual early discharge data to legislative committees.

Maddy summaryHB 4099 amends Michigan's Open Meetings Act to expand when public bodies can hold electronic meetings. It permanently allows agricultural commodity groups (like the Michigan Bean Commission or potato industry commissions), municipal retirement systems, and energy joint agencies to meet electronically under any circumstances - no longer limited to emergencies. The bill requires public bodies to post 18-hour advance notice online with clear participation details, ensure two-way communication during meetings, and publish agendas 2 hours before. It applies to all affected public bodies and ensures transparency for public participation, including accessibility for people with disabilities. This law took effect after being signed by the Governor in December 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 4401 removes the expiration date for Michigan's annual pheasant hunting license requirement, which was set to end on January 1, 2026. The bill maintains the current $25 fee for the license and keeps existing exemptions, such as for hunters on private land (outside hunting access programs), at licensed preserves, in the Upper Peninsula, or holding lifetime licenses. It also preserves the existing funding mechanism, directing license fees into a dedicated pheasant subaccount for purchasing and releasing pheasants on state land. The change ensures the licensing rule remains in effect indefinitely without altering other provisions of the law.

Maddy summaryHB 4262 empowers Michigan's attorney general to investigate and enforce violations of the state's Event Online Ticket Sales Act. It directly affects online ticket sellers who misrepresent ticket prices, availability, or fees. Key provisions include imposing civil fines of up to $5,000 per violated ticket, allowing the attorney general to seek court injunctions against ongoing violations, and enabling recovery of fines and restitution. The bill adds enforcement tools to the existing ticket sales law without changing the underlying consumer protections.

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 4836 amends Michigan's state school aid law to add an opt-out option for the workforce readiness assessment portion of the Michigan Merit Examination. Beginning in the 2025-2026 school year, students in grades 11 and 12 may elect not to take this assessment through a parent/guardian-signed waiver submitted by February 28. The bill requires the state to provide schools with an informational letter about the assessment's purpose, developed with input from business, manufacturing, and skilled trades representatives. This change directly affects Michigan high school students required to take the Michigan Merit Examination, specifically regarding the workforce readiness component.