Rep. Kara Hope

Maddy summaryHB 5183 amends Michigan's Worker's Disability Compensation Act (MCL 418.305) to clarify when an injured worker loses benefits due to their own misconduct. The bill states that an employee cannot receive benefits if their employer proves the injury resulted from the employee's "intentional, serious, and wilful misconduct." It defines "serious" misconduct as objectively egregious and harmful conduct that endangers the employee or others. This change directly affects injured workers whose employers claim they caused their own injury through severe workplace misconduct. The bill is currently in committee referral after its introduction on October 30, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 5188 modifies Michigan's workers' compensation system by adding a $100 fee for parties involved in lump-sum payment agreements for personal injury claims. This fee, paid by employers or carriers (with the carrier covering it for multiple defendants), applies to agreements filed after 1983 and funds the worker's compensation administrative revolving fund. The fund covers specific agency costs like training, case management, and hearings. The bill clarifies that filing a redemption agreement isn't an admission of liability and requires carriers to notify employers 10 business days before hearings.

Maddy summaryHB 5184 shortens the deadline for employers and insurers to pay worker's compensation benefits from 30 days to 14 days after benefits become due. It also increases the daily penalty for late payments from $50 to $100 per day (capped at $25,000 total), applies to both wage benefits and medical/travel costs, and requires interest on delayed payments at 10% annually. This directly affects workers receiving compensation and employers/carriers responsible for timely payments. The bill aims to accelerate benefit delivery and strengthen penalties for noncompliance under Michigan's Worker's Disability Compensation Act.

Maddy summaryHB 5172 requires water, sewerage, and stormwater management providers in Michigan to file annual reports with the Department of Health and Human Services. These reports must include detailed information on rates, charges (like late fees or connection fees), billing practices, asset management, customer categories, and financial data such as arrears, foreclosure actions, and capital improvement funding sources. The bill directly affects all providers offering these services to retail or wholesale customers, including both governmental and nongovernmental entities. The goal is to increase transparency about utility pricing and operations, with providers reporting specific metrics like metering practices, billing frequency, and revenue breakdowns.

Maddy summaryHB 5189 modifies Michigan's worker's compensation process for small claims. It specifies that claims under $2,000 for medical benefits only, or for a definite work period with the employee returned to work, may be referred to a small claims division. The bill prohibits attorneys in these small claims cases (requiring removal to standard hearings if attorneys are involved) and makes magistrate decisions final without appeal, except for fraud. This directly affects workers filing small compensation claims and insurance carriers handling those cases.

Maddy summaryHB 5180 expands worker's compensation benefits for certain first responders by creating a presumption that specific cancers arise from job duties during emergencies. It applies to firefighters, police, and emergency medical personnel with 60+ months of active service who developed covered cancers (like lung, bladder, or breast cancer) due to exposure while on duty. The bill establishes the "Christopher R. Slezak first responder presumed coverage fund" as the primary source for benefits, requiring claimants to first seek pension benefits or prove ineligibility. It also allows rebuttal of the presumption only through scientific evidence showing tobacco use was a significant factor in the cancer. The law affects current and former essential emergency service workers directly, not general employees.

Maddy summaryHB 5190 amends Michigan's Worker's Disability Compensation Act (MCL 418.319) to improve vocational rehabilitation services for injured workers. It requires face-to-face evaluations by approved providers, mandates detailed individualized rehabilitation plans based on a six-step return-to-work hierarchy (including same job, modified work, or new employment), and limits vocational training to 52 weeks (with possible 52-week extension). The bill ensures services are tailored to an employee's qualifications and includes provisions for transportation costs during rehabilitation. Refusal to accept approved vocational rehab may result in reduced compensation, while workers can appeal director decisions to the Michigan Workers' Disability Compensation Appellate Commission.

Maddy summaryHB 5170 would require landlords in Michigan to transfer water bills to tenants' names upon request for metered or sub-metered rental units. Landlords must approve such requests within 120 days, ensure water costs are not included in rent payments, and cannot retaliate against tenants for making this request (e.g., by raising rent or denying lease renewals). The bill applies only to new or renewed leases after its effective date and prohibits local laws conflicting with these provisions. It directly affects tenants in covered rental units and landlords managing those properties.

Maddy summaryHB 5173 modifies Michigan's public records law for non-medical human services assistance. It would allow county departments to share recipient names and assistance amounts with public utilities (like water, energy, or wastewater providers) to help eligible households pay utility bills, but only for specific programs authorized by law. Medical assistance records remain confidential under existing rules. The bill maintains current restrictions on public access to non-medical assistance records, requiring written requests with personal details and prohibiting misuse for political or commercial purposes. It also preserves penalties for unauthorized disclosure of recipient information.

Maddy summaryHB 5186 amends Michigan's Worker's Disability Compensation Act to increase weekly wage replacement benefits for totally disabled workers from 80% to 90% of their after-tax average weekly wage, subject to the maximum rate in Section 355. It clarifies that mental disabilities are compensable if work significantly contributes to or aggravates them, and defines "wage earning capacity" to include jobs within an injured worker's transferable skills. The bill shifts the burden to employers to refute an employee's initial disability claim after the employee demonstrates eligibility through evidence of job qualifications and work limitations. This directly affects injured workers seeking compensation and Michigan employers who pay these benefits.