Rep. Mark Tisdel

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 4364 modifies the requirements for obtaining permits to discharge waste into Michigan's waters. Beginning January 1, 2026, any person applying for a new or increased discharge permit must provide documentation of permission from any contiguous county that would be impacted by the discharge. This permission must be in the form of a resolution adopted by the contiguous county's board of commissioners. If an applicant fails to secure this permission, the state department will deny the permit application.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 4365 amends Michigan's Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act concerning discharges of untreated or partially treated sewage. It expands the list of parties that sewer system operators must notify immediately (within 24 hours) after a discharge begins, including additional county officials and local newspapers in potentially affected counties. The bill also clarifies requirements for testing affected waters for E. coli to assess public health risks. Violations of these updated notification and testing requirements are subject to existing civil fines ranging from $2,500 to $25,000 per day.

Maddy summaryHB 4158 modifies Michigan's revised school code concerning student assessments in public school academies. The bill expands the types of standardized tests that these academies can use to measure pupil progress. Specifically, it allows public school academies participating in a pilot program under section 104d of the state school aid act to utilize a state-administered assessment system as an alternative to the Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress (M-STEP) or Michigan Merit Examination. This provides flexibility in assessment methods for eligible public school academies and their students.

Maddy summaryHB 4159 requires Michigan public school districts to provide a core academic curriculum aligned with state-developed standards for all students. It specifically mandates that history standards for grades 8-12 include learning objectives on genocide (including the Holocaust and Armenian Genocide), and that reading/writing standards for K-6 must use evidence-based "science of reading" methods focusing on phonics, decoding, and structured literacy. The bill also prohibits curriculum content that includes non-essential values or beliefs, and requires assessments to measure academic skills - not student attitudes. School districts must fully adopt these K-6 standards by the 2026-2027 school year.

Maddy summaryHB 4157 creates a pilot program for a state-administered assessment system in Michigan public schools, replacing the current M-STEP testing. It requires item analysis for all tests (showing which questions students answered correctly and common mistakes) and mandates that districts use only student enrollment data from the time of testing when calculating school performance scores. The bill allocates $500,000 for an online tool to provide secure, immediate access to student-level assessment data for educators and parents. This bill directly affects public school districts receiving state aid and their students in grades 11-12, as it modifies assessment requirements under the State School Aid Act.

Maddy summaryHB 4156 amends Michigan's high school graduation requirements for diplomas. It modifies mathematics credit rules by allowing students to fulfill algebra II requirements through approved career and technical education programs (e.g., engineering, computer science) that cover equivalent content, rather than solely through traditional math courses. The bill also clarifies social science requirements, specifying that students entering grade 8 before 2023 may satisfy the economics credit with a personal economics course containing financial literacy, while maintaining core history and civics requirements for all students. These changes directly affect Michigan high school students and school districts by altering diploma eligibility criteria.

Maddy summaryHB 4147 creates a dedicated "school consolidation and infrastructure fund" within Michigan's state school aid budget to support feasibility studies for consolidating administrative and service functions across school districts. It allocates $5 million for grants (up to $250,000 per district) to analyze opportunities in shared services like payroll, IT systems, facility management, food services, and transportation. Districts receiving grants must publicly share study results within 60 days and demonstrate plans for potential consolidation. The fund’s money remains available year-to-year without lapsing, but the bill does not fund actual consolidation - only the preliminary studies.

Maddy summaryHB 4154 amends Michigan's Postsecondary Enrollment Options Act to explicitly include trade schools as eligible institutions for high school students to take college-level courses at reduced cost. This change directly affects Michigan high school students who want to enroll in career-focused programs at trade schools, allowing them to access the same tuition support previously available only at community colleges and universities. The bill updates the definition of "eligible postsecondary institution" to specifically list trade schools, without altering existing rules about course limits, fees, or student eligibility. This clarifies that trade schools can now participate in the program, expanding educational pathways for students seeking vocational training.

Maddy summaryHB 4312 amends Michigan's sales tax distribution by directing 8.62% of the 4% general sales tax revenue to the Revenue Sharing Trust Fund starting October 1, 2025, with funds distributed to cities, villages, townships, and counties. It maintains existing allocations for aviation fuel tax (35% to the state aeronautics fund, 65% to qualified airport funds) and sets a minimum $9 million annual deposit from computer software sales tax into the Michigan Health Initiative Fund. The bill also clarifies adjustments for school aid fund revenue losses due to specific tax exemptions. These changes directly affect local governments, airports, and health programs through revised tax revenue streams.

Maddy summaryHB 4311 creates a new Revenue Sharing Trust Fund to distribute state funds to local governments starting October 1, 2025. The fund will receive general sales tax deposits, donations, and investment earnings, with money remaining in the fund annually instead of lapsing to the general budget. It allocates $299 million to cities, villages, and townships, and $261 million to counties, using formulas based on property values and population to determine each community's share. This replaces previous eligibility requirements for these payments under 2023 PA 119.