Rep. Angela Rigas

Maddy summaryHB 4098 amends Michigan's Tax Tribunal Act to allow property tax dispute hearings to be held electronically via phone or video conference, with consent from all parties and tribunal approval. It directly affects property owners, businesses, and tax assessors involved in tax tribunal cases who previously could only attend in-person hearings. The key change expands existing provisions (Sections 26 and 34) to include virtual hearing options alongside in-person meetings, while maintaining requirements for public notice and open meetings compliance. This update modernizes the process for resolving property tax disputes without altering tax rates or assessment standards.

Maddy summaryHB 5404 amends Michigan's guardianship and conservatorship laws to strengthen oversight of professional guardians and conservators. It requires criminal background checks, court-approved bonds, and limits compensation sources for these appointed fiduciaries. The bill also mandates visitation schedules for professional guardians to check on wards and prohibits delegation of key decisions like medical or financial choices. These changes directly affect professional guardians/conservators, the individuals under their care (wards), and courts managing these cases. The bill focuses on ensuring accountability and proper care through specific procedural requirements.

Maddy summaryHB 5412 removes a requirement that the Michigan Strategic Fund must submit an annual legislative report before disbursing funds for brownfield redevelopment projects. This change allows the fund to release money for grants and loans to developers and property owners working on contaminated site cleanups without waiting for the report. The bill specifically amends sections 8a and 16 of Michigan's Brownfield Redevelopment Financing Act to eliminate this reporting barrier. The change directly affects the Michigan Strategic Fund, developers using the brownfield program, and communities seeking to redevelop contaminated properties.

Maddy summaryHB 5413 creates Michigan's entry into a proposed interstate compact that prohibits states from offering targeted subsidies to specific businesses or industries to lure them into relocating or opening new facilities. The bill would ban state or local government subsidies - such as direct grants, tax breaks, or favorable regulations - intended to favor particular companies or industries, while excluding general infrastructure benefits or broad tax cuts. If enough states join (reaching a three-fifths majority in both U.S. Congress chambers), participating states must stop providing new targeted subsidies, though existing contracts would remain valid. The compact establishes enforcement mechanisms allowing taxpayers to sue to compel compliance and requires states to coordinate with Congress once the threshold is met.

Maddy summaryHB 5417 amends Michigan's Strategic Fund Act to require the Michigan Strategic Fund to submit specific legislative reports before disbursing funds. This change directly affects the Strategic Fund, which manages economic development investments, by adding a new reporting requirement (Section 7c) for transparency. The key mechanism mandates that the fund provide detailed reports to the legislature prior to releasing funds for projects or loans. This update aims to enhance accountability for how public funds are allocated, without altering the fund's existing powers or program types.

Maddy summaryHB 5415 prevents Michigan's Strategic Fund from providing financial support (like loans or grants) for projects that would violate the "corporate welfare prohibition compact act" starting October 1, 2027. This bill directly affects the Strategic Fund's ability to fund economic development projects, requiring it to comply with an existing agreement between states that restricts certain business subsidies. The bill adds Section 15 to the Michigan Strategic Fund Act and depends on another bill (HB 5413) being enacted first. It does not change existing state funding rules but adds a new compliance requirement tied to an interstate agreement.

Maddy summaryHB 5418 requires the Michigan Strategic Fund to post on its website details about businesses that received state economic assistance (grants, loans, or other aid) and later ceased operations in Michigan. Specifically, the notice must include the business name, assistance type and amount, and whether repayment is likely if the business breached its agreement. This amendment to Section 88b(10) of the Michigan Strategic Fund Act focuses on transparency, not changing how funds are distributed. It directly affects businesses receiving state economic assistance that shut down, requiring the fund to publicly report their status.

Maddy summaryHB 5391 changes Michigan's unemployment benefits recovery rules by limiting the time the state can seek repayment of improperly paid benefits. It prohibits the unemployment agency from recovering benefits more than one year after the claimant receives the payment, affecting most unemployed Michiganders who received benefits by mistake. Exceptions include cases involving suspected identity fraud (where recovery may still be pursued) or intentional fraud (where no time limit applies). The bill also maintains existing hardship waiver options for repayment if recovery would be unfair due to financial hardship or administrative errors.

Maddy summaryHB 5206 creates a new "limited cosmetologist license" under Michigan's cosmetology law, allowing individuals to perform specific services like natural hair cultivation, manicuring, or skin care without needing a full cosmetologist license. This change streamlines licensing for professionals who specialize in these areas, eliminating the need for separate licenses (e.g., for manicuring or esthetics) while requiring them to limit their practice to the licensed services. The bill updates definitions to clarify terms like "natural hair cultivation" (techniques such as braiding or twisting without chemicals) and ensures license holders cannot perform unlicensed services like electrology. It directly affects cosmetology practitioners seeking to offer these focused services more efficiently.

Maddy summaryHB 5375 prohibits charging interest on unpaid restitution of overpaid unemployment benefits when the overpayment resulted from specific errors, such as agency mistakes, employer errors, or system issues - not the claimant's fault. It requires the unemployment agency to waive existing interest charges and refund payments made for those errors, with refunds due within 180 days of the law's effective date. The bill also stops interest from accruing during pending appeals and applies retroactively to overpayments from February 2020 through December 2026. This directly affects claimants who received overpayments due to errors beyond their control.