Maddy summaryThis bill amends Michigan's environmental protection laws to establish a permitting structure for the discharge of wash water from oceangoing vessels in state waters. It requires vessel operators to obtain permits from the Department of Environmental Quality and mandates that vessels comply with federal aquatic nuisance rules regarding ballast water management to prevent the spread of invasive species. The legislation sets specific timelines for permit applications, outlines conditions for permit revocation or modification, and clarifies fee structures for vessel permits. The bill also includes provisions for administrative hearings if permit holders contest departmental orders and establishes that state standards may be more protective than federal rules if adopted through a Great Lakes compact.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryThis bill requires nursing homes in Michigan to ensure all unlicensed staff members complete a fall prevention training program. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services will develop and manage this training program in consultation with relevant health agencies. The law applies specifically to unlicensed personnel working in nursing home facilities, mandating they finish the required training. This change aims to standardize fall prevention education for non-licensed staff across the state's nursing homes.
Maddy summaryThis bill requires employers in Michigan to pay employees their regular hourly wage for time spent participating in mandatory fall prevention training programs. The law applies to any employer who must ensure their staff complete the fall prevention training established under state public health regulations. By compensating workers for this required training time, the bill aims to remove financial barriers that might prevent employees from completing safety education. The legislation creates a new legal requirement for wage payment specifically tied to fall prevention training participation.
Maddy summaryHB 5364 requires Michigan's state board of education to obtain legislative approval - via a concurrent resolution from both the state Senate and House - before revising the state's recommended academic curriculum standards. The bill directly affects school districts, the state board, and legislators by preventing changes to standards without formal legislative consent. Key provisions include prohibiting standards from including "attitudes, beliefs, or value systems" unrelated to academic learning, while maintaining existing requirements for standards covering subjects like history (including genocide education) and assessments focused solely on academic skills. The bill does not alter current standards but changes the process for future updates. It is currently pending in the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
Maddy summaryHB 5635 amends Michigan's School Code (MCL 380.1177) to prevent schools or health departments from requiring stricter exemption documentation than state law allows for student immunizations. It directly affects students entering school for the first time or in grade 7, and their families seeking exemptions based on religious beliefs or other objections. The bill ensures schools can only accept the three standard exemption options: a physician's statement, a parent's religious exemption, or a statement showing the child is in process of compliance. It does not change existing immunization requirements but prohibits additional barriers to claiming exemptions beyond those specified in state law.
Maddy summaryHB 5597 allows building owners or their agents to hire third-party inspection companies to perform required building inspections instead of relying solely on government agency inspections. Third-party inspectors must be registered under Michigan's skilled trades regulations, and their reports must include compliance status, necessary corrections, conflicts of interest, and the inspector's credentials. The enforcing agency may issue a certificate of occupancy based on a satisfactory third-party report, which must be submitted to both the owner and the agency. This change directly affects building owners, third-party inspection companies, and local building enforcement agencies.
Maddy summaryHB 5634 prevents Michigan's health department from creating stricter rules or requiring additional paperwork for school immunization exemptions. It preserves only two existing exemption types: medical (certified by a physician) and religious/philosophical (via a parent's written statement). The bill explicitly blocks the department from mandating new exemption forms or imposing extra requirements beyond these two categories. This directly affects schools, parents seeking exemptions, and the health department's regulatory authority. The legislation maintains the current exemption framework without expanding or altering it.
Maddy summaryHB 5586 creates a new "Office of Community Violence Intervention and Prevention Services" within Michigan's Department of Health and Human Services. The office will administer grants to community-based nonprofits, track violence trends, set statewide goals to reduce shootings and homicides, and coordinate all state violence prevention efforts. It directly affects local governments, community organizations receiving grants, and state agencies managing the program. The bill establishes concrete requirements for data collection, technical assistance, and annual reporting to measure progress toward reducing community violence.
Maddy summaryHB 5578 amends Michigan's Child Custody Act to clarify when courts may change a child's established custodial environment. It specifically allows a change if a parent proves the other parent was convicted of criminal sexual conduct against a minor (or found by clear evidence to have committed nonconsensual sexual penetration of a child) and the nonoffending parent knew of the conviction while permitting the child's access. The bill also protects military parents by requiring courts to ignore a parent's deployment absence in custody decisions, reinstating pre-deployment custody arrangements after return, and limiting temporary custody orders during deployment. Additionally, it tightens appeal standards for custody rulings, requiring courts to show legal error or abuse of discretion - not just factual disagreement - to overturn decisions.
Maddy summaryHB 5587 creates a state grant program to fund community-based violence prevention initiatives in areas with high homicide rates. It establishes a "community violence intervention and prevention fund" to award grants to eligible local governments (e.g., cities or counties with 35+ homicides in 2 of 3 years) or community nonprofits with proven experience addressing violence. Grants must support evidence-based strategies focused on trauma care, economic opportunities, and reducing violence without increasing incarceration, with at least 75% of funds directed to community organizations - not law enforcement. The program requires grantees to report on outcomes and coordinate with other violence prevention efforts, and mandates annual reports on best practices from the administering office.