Rep. Joe Aragona

Maddy summaryHB 4388, the "Social Media Regulation Act," requires social media companies with at least 5 million global users to verify the age of Michigan residents applying for accounts and obtain explicit parental consent if the applicant is under 18. It directly affects minors in Michigan and major social media platforms, prohibiting account creation without age verification or parental consent for minors. The law excludes non-social media services like email, direct messaging, news sites, e-commerce, and school-specific platforms (e.g., learning management systems) from its requirements. The bill takes effect 180 days after enactment, mandating social media companies to deny applications that fail these verification steps.

Maddy summaryHB 5343 amends Michigan's liquor control law to change the definition of "mixed spirit drink" for certain products sold in metal cans. Specifically, it raises the allowable alcohol content from 13.5% to 18% by volume for drinks meeting strict container requirements (metal cans under 24 ounces with specific closure features). This change directly affects mixed spirit drink manufacturers and out-of-state sellers who produce or sell these beverages in compliant containers. The modification allows for higher-alcohol content products under the same packaging rules, streamlining regulations for this category of beverages.

Maddy summaryHB 4954 expands Michigan's survivor tuition grant program to include children and surviving spouses of medical examiners and medical examiner investigators who die in the line of duty. Currently, the program covers families of police officers and firefighters killed on duty; this bill adds medical examiners and their investigators to the eligible categories. The grant would cover tuition costs at Michigan's public colleges and universities for qualifying students meeting residency and academic requirements. The bill amends the existing "Police Officer's, Fire Fighter's, and Medical Examiner's Survivor Tuition Grant Act" to include these new recipients.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Michigan's certificate of need requirements for outpatient imaging centers by allowing certain imaging services to proceed with a simple letter of intent instead of a full certificate application. It directly affects healthcare providers seeking to add or expand positron emission tomography, magnetic resonance, or computerized tomography scanners in facilities that are not owned by hospitals and do not charge facility fees. Under the new rules, the state health department must acknowledge approval within 30 days of receiving a letter of intent, after which providers can begin the service without further certification. The legislation aims to streamline the process for independent imaging centers while maintaining oversight through the department's verification step.

Maddy summaryThis bill regulates private residence vertical lifts in Michigan by updating state elevator laws to include specific safety standards for these devices. It requires that any private residence vertical lift be certified as safe by a nationally recognized testing laboratory using specific American Society of Mechanical Engineers standards. The legislation also clarifies that these lifts do not need a traditional hoistway, pit, or machine room if they are installed according to manufacturer specifications and meet performance-based safety requirements. This change directly affects homeowners and contractors who install or maintain vertical lifts in private residences.

Maddy summaryThis bill would allow Michigan farms to discharge certain types of wastewater, such as cooling or wash water from processing farm products, without needing a permit under specific conditions. The key requirements include limiting annual discharge to 100,000 gallons, prohibiting hazardous waste and surface water discharge, and ensuring the water is stored properly and applied to vegetated land at least 100 feet from property boundaries and 75 feet from water wells. Farms must also rotate discharge locations based on soil conditions and maintain records of each discharge, while the bill explicitly excludes discharges containing sanitary sewage unless applied through a permitted subsurface system.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Michigan's environmental protection laws to establish a permitting structure for the discharge of wash water from oceangoing vessels in state waters. It requires vessel operators to obtain permits from the Department of Environmental Quality and mandates that vessels comply with federal aquatic nuisance rules regarding ballast water management to prevent the spread of invasive species. The legislation sets specific timelines for permit applications, outlines conditions for permit revocation or modification, and clarifies fee structures for vessel permits. The bill also includes provisions for administrative hearings if permit holders contest departmental orders and establishes that state standards may be more protective than federal rules if adopted through a Great Lakes compact.

Maddy summaryHB 4510 would allow Michigan's public employee retirement funds (managed by the state treasurer as investment fiduciary) to invest in cryptocurrency meeting strict criteria. The bill requires any cryptocurrency investment to have a minimum $250 billion average market capitalization over the previous year and must be held as exchange-traded products from registered investment companies. It applies only to retirement systems where the state treasurer acts as the investment fiduciary, not all funds. The bill adds this investment option without altering existing rules for other assets.

Maddy summaryHB 4511 prohibits Michigan state and local governments from banning digital asset holdings, requiring permits for them, imposing extra taxes based solely on digital asset use, or restricting blockchain-related activities like node operations, asset transfers, or staking. It also bans state agencies from advocating for U.S. central bank digital currency and shields individuals validating transactions or operating nodes from civil liability. The bill directly affects Michigan residents, businesses, and blockchain service providers using digital assets like cryptocurrency or stablecoins. Key provisions define "digital assets" broadly and require state actions to align with blockchain protocols without unnecessary restrictions.

Maddy summaryHB 5450 amends Michigan's Food Law to prohibit local governments (counties, cities, villages, or townships) from charging fees, taxes, or assessments for the operation of mobile food establishments, such as food trucks. This directly affects food truck operators by eliminating an additional cost imposed by local jurisdictions. The bill achieves this by modifying Section 3113 of the Food Law to explicitly ban such fees, while still requiring compliance with state-mandated fire inspections and licensing under existing regulations.