Rep. Angela Rigas

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Michigan's school code to require public school districts to provide a core academic curriculum based on state-developed standards that focus strictly on academic and cognitive skills. Key provisions mandate that reading instruction for grades K-6 adhere to the science of reading and that math standards for grades K-5 be updated by a specific committee by June 2025. The legislation also requires history curricula for grades 8-12 to include learning objectives about genocide, such as the Holocaust and the Armenian Genocide. Additionally, the bill ensures that state assessments measure only academic proficiency rather than student values or attitudes and requires special assistance for students who do not pass fourth or seventh-grade reading tests.

Maddy summaryHB 5991 primarily appropriates state funding for Michigan public schools for the 2024 and 2025 fiscal years, allocating money from various state funds to support education operations and federal compliance. The bill also mandates that districts administering the M-STEP or a new state-administered assessment system must provide detailed item analysis reports showing how individual test questions contribute to student scores. Additionally, it establishes a pilot program allowing districts to use an alternative state-administered assessment system instead of the standard M-STEP for certain high school students taking the Michigan merit examination. The legislation includes provisions for online reporting tools to share assessment data with educators and families while preventing the release of individually identifiable student information to the federal government.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates Michigan's Revised School Code to clarify how public school academies must report student test scores. It requires these academies to use either the standard M-STEP assessments or a state-administered assessment system if they are part of a specific pilot program. The changes apply to the legal sections governing academy organization, contracts, and application requirements. By modifying these statutes, the legislation ensures that academies operating under different testing systems are clearly defined in state law.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Michigan school districts, intermediate school districts, and public school academies to post a link to a specific transparency dashboard on their public websites by July 1, 2025. Additionally, it mandates that these institutions provide an annual summary of school performance data to every student's parent or legal guardian starting in July 2026. The law also directs the Center for Educational Performance and Information to update its main data website to include information from the transparency dashboard and add a feature that allows users to compare data across public schools in the state.

Maddy summaryHB 5995 proposes to remove fees that schools charge for evaluating student applications for specific programs. This change would directly affect students and families who currently pay these costs to apply for services under the Revised School Code. The bill eliminates the financial barriers by amending existing state laws that authorized these charges. If passed, applicants would no longer need to pay evaluation fees to access the covered programs.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates the Michigan Strategic Fund Act to clarify definitions and compliance requirements for economic development projects. It specifically adds a new section requiring the fund to ensure its investments comply with the federal Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. The legislation also expands the list of eligible projects to include various port facilities and provides a detailed definition of green chemistry principles. These changes directly affect the Michigan Strategic Fund, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, and businesses seeking financing for industrial, commercial, or agricultural ventures in the state.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Michigan's Postsecondary Enrollment Options Act to explicitly include trade schools as eligible institutions for high school students taking college-level courses. It updates the legal definition of "eligible postsecondary institution" to ensure that trade schools, alongside community colleges and universities, can participate in the program where students pay tuition and fees directly. The legislation does not alter existing rules regarding course limits, eligibility criteria, or tuition caps, focusing instead on clarifying which types of schools can offer these dual-enrollment opportunities. By making this change, the bill allows high schoolers to access vocational and technical training at trade schools through the same funding and enrollment framework currently used for traditional colleges.

Maddy summaryHB 5941 amends Michigan's income tax law to clarify how certain gratuities received by tipped employees are treated for tax purposes. The bill specifically addresses the exclusion of these tips from taxable income, ensuring that workers in the service industry are not taxed on amounts that are already exempt under federal rules. By updating the state tax code, the legislation aligns Michigan's treatment of tipped income with existing federal standards. This change directly affects employees who rely on tips as part of their compensation and the employers who report such earnings.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates a specific section of highway M-26 in Adams Township as the "Private Wesley Vietti Karna Memorial Highway." The designated stretch runs from Academy Street south to Hubbard Avenue. By adding a new section to the Michigan Memorial Highway Act, the legislation formally assigns this name to the road to honor Private Wesley Vietti Karna.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes adding a new section to the Michigan state constitution to formally recognize the right of all citizens to hunt, fish, trap, and harvest wildlife. The amendment states that this right is subject only to regulations designed to promote sound conservation and management, while also declaring public hunting as a preferred method for managing nonthreatened species. It explicitly clarifies that these constitutional changes do not alter existing laws regarding trespass, private property rights, eminent domain, or firearms unrelated to hunting. Ultimately, the bill seeks to enshrine these outdoor activities as a protected heritage right within the state's highest legal document.