Rep. Gina Johnsen

Maddy summaryHB 4010 designates Harrison Township in Michigan as "Boat Town USA" to symbolically recognize the community's connection to boating culture. The bill does not create new laws, regulations, or funding; it is a purely ceremonial designation. Passed by the Michigan House of Representatives in May 2025 with 83 votes in favor, the measure formally assigns this title without altering any existing policies or obligations.

Maddy summaryHB 4066 requires Michigan public schools to designate interscholastic athletic teams as "female," "male," or "coeducational" based on biological sex. It prohibits male students from participating in teams designated exclusively for females and protects schools from complaints or penalties for maintaining such single-sex teams. The law allows students or schools harmed by violations to seek legal remedies, including damages. It defines "sex" as biological sex listed on an individual's original birth certificate issued at or near birth. This bill directly affects public school districts, students, and athletic associations in Michigan.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 4514 amends the Michigan antitrust reform act to prohibit employers from requiring noncompete agreements for physicians. Specifically, it states that employers cannot obtain noncompete agreements from physicians. Any noncompete agreements entered into between an employer and a physician before this change takes effect would be voided if they are contrary to this new prohibition. The bill defines "physician" by referencing the public health code.

Maddy summaryHB 4201 amends Michigan's income tax law to exempt certain retirement benefits from state taxation. It specifically adds a deduction for retirement or pension benefits received from Michigan's public retirement systems (like state employee pensions) or federal public retirement systems. This directly affects Michigan residents who receive these types of public-sector retirement benefits by reducing their taxable income. The change modifies Section 30 of Michigan's Income Tax Act (MCL 206.30) to exclude these benefits from taxable income calculations.

Maddy summaryHB 4076 prohibits labeling lab-grown meat substitutes as "meat" and requires sellers to use specific terms like "cell-cultured," "lab-grown," or "cultivated" on product labels. It directly affects manufacturers and retailers selling lab-grown meat alternatives, mandating clear labeling that distinguishes these products from traditional meat. The bill amends Michigan's Food Law to require these terms on sealed packages or bulk displays, ensuring consumers can accurately identify the product type. This policy change focuses on transparent labeling without altering existing requirements for traditional meat products.

Maddy summaryHB 4491 revises the application process for Michigan's critical industry program and other economic development initiatives managed by the Michigan Strategic Fund. It requires businesses seeking state funding to complete a form attesting, under penalty of perjury, that their hiring and promotion practices are based solely on merit, defined by objective criteria like experience and education. False attestations carry a $5,000 civil fine and potential perjury charges. Additionally, the bill outlines specific criteria the fund must consider when awarding investments and mandates detailed terms for agreements with businesses, including job creation targets, performance benchmarks, and clawback provisions for non-compliance.

Maddy summaryHB 4489 modifies the rules for expenditures from the Strategic Outreach and Attraction Reserve (SOAR) fund. The bill adds new conditions for recipients of these funds, requiring them to use hiring practices and internal promotion schemes based on employee merit. "Merit" is defined as a reasonable expectation, based on objective criteria like experience and education, that an individual can perform job duties. These changes directly affect businesses and entities receiving SOAR fund expenditures by requiring them to adopt these merit-based employment practices.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 4490 amends Michigan's Management and Budget Act to prohibit state agencies from awarding contracts to companies that do not use hiring practices based solely on merit. The bill defines "merit" as a reasonable expectation of job performance based on objective criteria such as experience, education, and training. For construction contracts, companies seeking state business must attest under penalty of perjury that they use only merit-based hiring. The state department is then prohibited from awarding these contracts to firms that use other hiring practices or fail to submit the required attestation.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 4475 proposes to amend the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act to prohibit discrimination based on an individual's vaccination status or whether they possess an "immunity passport." It would prevent state or local governmental entities, private universities, and community colleges from denying services, goods, educational opportunities, healthcare, or employment for these reasons. Employers would also be prohibited from discriminating against individuals in hiring, termination, or terms of employment due to vaccination status. The bill includes specific exceptions, such as for certain child care organizations, federal contractors, and regulated entities whose funding depends on compliance with federal health regulations. Additionally, it allows vaccination requirements for employees in roles with direct exposure to infectious materials or in public health/medical settings where vaccinations are necessary for their duties.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 4178 amends the insurance code to establish a new system for continuing education credits for insurance producers. Specifically, it allows insurance producers who belong to a professional insurance association to carry over excess continuing education hours. This means if these producers complete more than the currently required 24 hours of approved education every two years, the additional credits can be applied toward future license renewal requirements. The bill modifies the existing rules governing how insurance producers maintain their licenses through ongoing education.