Rep. Denise Mentzer

Maddy summaryHB 5847 amends Michigan's Fourth Class City Act to update the language regarding a city's power to regulate prostitution and commercial sexual activity. The bill replaces the term "prostitution" with "commercial sexual activity" in the list of general powers granted to city councils to prevent vice and immorality. This change allows local governments in fourth-class cities to pass ordinances targeting these activities using more modern terminology. The legislation does not create new crimes or penalties but clarifies the scope of existing municipal authority.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires townships in Michigan to adopt a written conflict of interest policy for their officials. Under the new rules, board members must publicly announce and record the factual reasons for any abstentions from voting due to conflicts, including situations where a member seeks to fill a vacancy. The legislation also mandates that members vote on all questions unless excused by unanimous consent and ensures that official records clearly reflect these voting procedures. These provisions aim to increase transparency and accountability in township governance by formalizing how officials handle potential conflicts.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates Michigan's health care laws to create a clear process for designating a surrogate to make medical decisions for adults or emancipated minors who cannot do so themselves. It establishes a specific priority list for potential surrogates, starting with out-of-state designations, followed by spouses, adult children, parents, and siblings, while excluding individuals subject to protective orders or pending abuse charges. The legislation requires that a surrogate's authority ends when the patient regains decision-making capacity and mandates that the surrogate sign an acceptance form confirming they will act in the patient's best interest without receiving payment. Additionally, the bill allows patients to disqualify specific individuals from serving as surrogates and ensures that surrogates are informed of the patient's known treatment preferences.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies the Youth Rehabilitation Services Act to require DNA samples from minors under state supervision who are found responsible for specific crimes involving prostitution, child enticement, or indecent exposure. Under the new rules, youth agencies must collect these samples without the minor's consent or a prior court order, and the collected data can only be shared with law enforcement or in specific legal and research contexts. The legislation also mandates a $60 fee for these minors to cover the costs of DNA profiling and retention, unless the state already possesses their genetic information from a previous case.

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 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 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.