Rep. Penelope Tsernoglou

Maddy summaryThis proposed constitutional amendment requires Michigan's legislature to pass the annual school aid budget bill by July 1 each year. To ensure transparency and accountability, the bill must be publicly available on the legislature's website for at least seven days before a vote, and any amendments must be posted for 24 hours. If the deadline is missed, the salaries of the governor, the Senate majority leader, and the House speaker will be withheld until the bill is enacted.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows the state treasurer to provide interest-free loans to school districts and intermediate school districts if the state budget is not passed by October 1. Under the new rules, a district can borrow an amount equal to what it received from the school aid fund in the previous year for a period of up to one year. The state treasurer retains the authority to set additional terms for these loans, which are intended to help districts manage cash flow during budget delays.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires anyone applying for a building permit for a data center in Michigan to submit a detailed acoustic engineering report. The report must include measurements of current noise levels, projections of construction and operational noise, and a comparison of these levels against local rules or national standards. An enforcing agency cannot issue the permit until this report is provided and shared with the Michigan Public Service Commission and the local government. The law only takes effect if several other related bills are also passed.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Michigan's zoning enabling act to explicitly include the Data Center Community Benefit Agreement Act as a law that local zoning ordinances must follow. By adding this requirement to the list of existing state laws, the measure ensures that municipalities cannot create zoning rules that conflict with community benefit agreements for data center projects. The legislation also clarifies that local governments cannot regulate oil and gas drilling operations and establishes specific criteria for evaluating mining activities based on factors like safety, traffic, and public interest. Additionally, it protects renewable energy projects approved after January 1, 2021, from having their special land use approvals revoked once substantial construction or financial investment has begun.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires data centers in Michigan to sign legally binding community benefit agreements before they can begin construction or operation. To get approval, data center owners must negotiate deals with local governments and utility providers that address issues like hiring local workers, managing water usage, and funding community projects. The law mandates that these agreements cover at least half of five specific topics, including infrastructure costs and home efficiency improvements, and they must be approved by both the local government and the state public service commission. Without these signed agreements, local authorities cannot issue necessary permits, and the state commission cannot approve the facility's connection to the power grid. This legislation applies to any facility designed to house equipment for storing and processing data within the state.

Maddy summaryThis bill, known as the Data Center Transparency Act, prohibits elected officials in Michigan from signing nondisclosure agreements that keep data center construction details secret. It specifically applies to contracts between local governments and data center owners where the facility is built in exchange for tax incentives. Under the law, any such agreement attempting to hide information about the project would be considered void and unenforceable, while still allowing the redaction of specific intellectual property details. The measure requires that all related bills be passed for this provision to take effect.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires data center operators in Michigan to submit a decommissioning plan to the Public Service Commission before receiving approval for rates or contracts with electric utilities. The plan must include financial assurance, such as a performance bond or escrow account, to cover the estimated costs of dismantling the facility and restoring the land to its pre-construction condition. The commission will review these financial guarantees every three years to ensure sufficient funds are available for cleanup when the data center is eventually closed. This legislation directly affects businesses operating data centers and the utility companies that serve them. The bill is part of a larger package of related measures that must all be enacted to take effect.

Maddy summaryThis Michigan bill establishes the Data Center Water Regulation Act, which requires new and existing data centers to either use a closed-loop cooling system that recirculates water or source all water exclusively from municipal systems. Facilities that currently rely on groundwater or surface water must immediately stop operations once the law takes effect, while those violating the rules face civil fines of up to $1 million per day. The legislation also grants the Michigan Public Service Commission the authority to create specific rules for implementation and mandates that collected fines be deposited into the state's general fund.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs the Michigan Public Service Commission to create a specific rate structure for data centers that requires a 15-year contract with the utility provider. Under the new rules, data centers would face a minimum monthly charge based on 60% of their contracted power demand, regardless of how much electricity they actually use, and must pay a penalty fee if they break their contract early. The legislation also mandates that data centers provide collateral equal to 24 months of billing charges and ensures they cover all costs associated with generating, transmitting, or distributing their power without passing those expenses to other customers. This proposal applies only to facilities in Michigan designed to store and process data and is part of a larger package of related bills that must all pass together to take effect.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the state treasurer to create a monthly report tracking whether the federal government owes Michigan money due to ignored court orders and calculating any future payments Michigan must make to the federal government. The report will detail specific financial items such as federal taxes owed by state employers, debt offsets, and grant repayments, and it must be prepared in consultation with the state budget director. Additionally, the bill mandates that the state treasurer withhold federal payments if the amounts owed by the federal government exceed the amounts Michigan is required to pay. This legislation is currently tied to a companion bill, meaning it will not take effect unless both are passed by the legislature.