Rep. Sharon MacDonell

Maddy summaryHB 5351 amends Michigan's Public Health Code to update how the state health department creates rules for childhood immunizations. It requires the department to consider recommendations from major health organizations like the CDC, American Academy of Pediatrics, and others when setting immunization rules, including minimum ages, doses, and school requirements. If recommendations from these groups conflict, the department must consult Michigan's advisory committee on immunizations. The bill also mandates that immunization requirements stay at least as strict as those in effect on January 1, 2025, if federal guidelines change. This bill directly affects the health department's rulemaking process and impacts schools, healthcare providers, and families managing childhood vaccination schedules.

Maddy summaryHB 5346 amends Michigan's Public Health Code to update access to the Michigan Care Improvement Registry (formerly the Childhood Immunization Registry). It requires the state department to allow users to query and extract immunization records by school building, directly affecting school health staff and administrators. The bill also adds a provision enabling individuals aged 20 or older to request that their personal immunization records be made inaccessible in the registry upon submitting a written request. These changes focus on improving data accessibility for school-based health management while enhancing privacy options for adult patients.

Maddy summaryHB 5354 amends Michigan's Public Health Code to allow pharmacists and community-based organizations to dispense or administer opioid antagonists (like naloxone) under standing orders issued by the chief medical executive during public health emergencies or when prescription requirements conflict with public health needs. It specifies conditions for issuing these orders - such as protecting public health during emergencies or ensuring access without individual prescriptions - and requires detailed documentation in each standing order. The bill also provides liability protection for pharmacists, community organizations, and health department staff acting under these orders, unless the action involves willful misconduct or gross negligence. Standing orders expire after 1 year (for non-emergency uses) or 6 months (for emergencies), with extensions requiring public justification on the state health department website.

Maddy summaryThis House Resolution (HR 224) urges the Trump-Vance administration to reverse its denial of federal disaster relief funding for northern Michigan residents affected by a March 2025 ice storm. It specifically requests the full amount of funding requested under the Stafford Act for individual assistance, public utilities, and hazard mitigation after the storm caused widespread infrastructure damage and hardship. The resolution is non-binding and serves only to formally express congressional support for affected communities, directing copies to the President, FEMA, and Michigan's congressional delegation. It does not alter funding decisions or create new legal obligations.

Maddy summaryHB 4108 amends Michigan's tort law to grant legal immunity to individuals who provide emergency bleeding control during medical crises. It directly protects ordinary citizens (not just professionals) who act in good faith to stop severe bleeding, such as at accident scenes or public events. The key provision shields these helpers from lawsuits for unintentional harm caused while applying bleeding control techniques, like using tourniquets or pressure dressings. This change applies specifically to bleeding control efforts during emergencies, not general emergency assistance.

Maddy summaryHB 5285 prohibits minors under 18 from using or possessing BB guns (defined as pneumatic guns firing BBs/pellets via spring, gas, or air) outside their home property without an adult over 18 present. It directly affects unaccompanied minors who might use such devices in public or non-residential areas. The bill creates penalties for violations, including up to 90 days in jail or a $500 fine, and clarifies that "pneumatic gun" includes common BB/pellet guns. The legislation is pending review by the Government Operations Committee after its introduction on November 13, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 5290 requires public employers to negotiate minimum staffing levels as a mandatory topic in collective bargaining agreements for firefighters and other public employees covered under Michigan's 1969 firefighting safety law (MCL 423.231-423.247). This change applies specifically to units where employees face firefighting hazards, making staffing levels part of required negotiations. Employers may opt out of bargaining on staffing levels only if they face budget shortfalls from state revenue or property tax declines, or if a millage increase would be needed to cover costs. The bill amends sections 11 and 15 of Michigan's 1947 Public Employment Relations Act to update mandatory bargaining requirements.

Maddy summaryHB 5250, titled the "Weight Loss Products and Minors Act," prohibits retailers from selling dietary supplements marketed for weight loss or muscle building and over-the-counter diet pills to anyone under 18. It requires physical store sales to verify age using valid ID (like a driver's license), and online sales to confirm age through approved databases before shipping, with delivery requiring ID proof at time of receipt. The bill directly affects retailers selling these products and minors under 18, creating new requirements for age verification in both physical and virtual transactions. It does not change product safety standards but adds civil penalties for violations, including fines up to $1,000 per violation. The bill is pending in Michigan's Health Policy Committee as of its introduction on November 12, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 5263 requires Michigan veterans' facilities and the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs to forward written reports of abuse, neglect, or exploitation to the Michigan Veterans’ Facility Ombudsman. This directly affects veterans' facilities, their employees, and the ombudsman, who gains authority to independently investigate such reports without needing facility approval. The bill mandates that facilities immediately send reports to the ombudsman, who can then interview staff, contractors, or witnesses to probe issues affecting resident veterans’ safety. These changes aim to ensure prompt, impartial reviews of facility conditions that pose health or safety risks to veterans.

Maddy summaryHB 5275 modifies Michigan's property tax credit for individual income tax by changing the definition of "disabled veteran" and removing a limit on the credit amount for qualifying veterans. The bill amends sections 506 and 520 of the 1967 Income Tax Act (MCL 206.506, 206.520) to expand eligibility and eliminate a cap previously applied to this credit. This directly affects disabled veterans who claim the property tax credit, allowing them to receive the full credit amount without the prior limitation. The change is a specific policy adjustment to the tax code, not a new benefit.