Rep. Bill Schuette

Maddy summaryHB 4644 allows villages, cities, and townships with populations under 30,000 (based on the 2010 census) to permit golf cart operation on local streets and county roads, subject to specific safety rules. Key provisions include requiring operators to be at least 16 years old with a valid driver’s license, limiting speed to 15 mph, prohibiting operation on sidewalks or during nighttime (30 minutes before sunset to 30 minutes after sunrise), and requiring registration without fees. County boards may block golf cart use if safety or environmental concerns are proven after a public hearing. The bill also establishes procedures for local units to request limited golf cart access on state highways under specific conditions, such as connecting tourist areas or crossing natural barriers.

Maddy summaryHB 4750 requires Michigan's foster care department to use or save existing benefits (such as Medicaid or education funds) for children in foster care when it serves their best interests, directly affecting all children in the state's foster care system. The bill amends Michigan's foster care law to mandate this approach, ensuring benefits are prioritized for the child's well-being rather than other uses. Key provisions include adding a new section (8f) to the existing law, directing the department to make decisions based on each child's specific needs. This policy change clarifies how resources must be managed without specifying new funding or programs.

Maddy summaryHB 4350 amends Michigan's Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act to allow individuals to feed wild birds and other wildlife under specific conditions. This bill permits such feeding if it occurs within 300 feet of a residence and the total amount of feed does not exceed two gallons. It clarifies that this allowance does not apply to activities like baiting for hunting, normal agricultural practices, or feeding conducted in a way that excludes deer and elk. This aims to create limited exceptions for recreational or preventative feeding of wildlife by residents.

Maddy summaryHB 4824 updates Michigan's legal definition of "brand" within liquor regulations. This change directly affects liquor producers and sellers who market products under specific brand names, clarifying how brands are recognized under state law. The bill modifies Section 105 of the 1998 Liquor Code (MCL 436.1105) and adds a new Section 604 to establish clearer rules for brand identification. These changes aim to streamline compliance for businesses without altering existing licensing or sales requirements.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows cities in Michigan to deny building permits, certificates of use and occupancy, or variances to individuals who owe unpaid fines or assessments related to local construction code enforcement. However, the law explicitly exempts certain entities from these penalties, including government-sponsored housing groups, financial institutions, credit union service organizations, and licensed mortgage servicers. Additionally, the bill ensures that permits cannot be denied if the proposed construction work is intended to fix the specific code violation that caused the original fine. The legislation will only take effect if a companion bill, HB 6177, is also passed into law.

Maddy summaryHB 6189 updates the definitions within Michigan's Consumer Mortgage Protection Act to clarify terms such as "mortgage loan," "reverse-mortgage," and "regulated lender." These changes aim to align the law with newer statutes like the Residential Mortgage Licensing and Supervision Act and ensure consistency across various financial regulations. The bill does not alter existing operational rules but instead refines the vocabulary used to describe lenders, borrowers, and related financial products. It is contingent upon the passage of a companion bill, HB 6177, before it can take effect.

Maddy summaryHB 6188 amends Michigan's home solicitation sales law to clarify which specific financial transactions are excluded from its regulations. The bill explicitly states that loans, credit extensions, and securities offered by federally insured depository institutions and mortgage lenders are not considered "home solicitation sales." Additionally, it updates the definition of "goods or services" to ensure these financial products remain outside the scope of the act's cooling-off periods and other consumer protections. This legislative change directly affects banks, credit unions, and mortgage brokers by confirming that their residential lending activities are governed by separate mortgage licensing statutes rather than the general home solicitation rules. The bill also includes technical corrections to definitions for terms like "business day" and "telephone solicitation" to improve clarity.

Maddy summaryHB 6186 amends Michigan's existing mortgage interest laws to clarify and update rules regarding rates and fees for residential loans. The bill primarily affects lenders, mortgage brokers, and borrowers by reinforcing restrictions on prepayment penalties, limiting upfront fees, and capping interest rates at 11% per annum for certain types of loans, such as those made by unqualified lenders or second mortgages. It also ensures that interest is calculated only on unpaid balances and prohibits interest from being added or deducted in advance. By updating the 1966 statute, the legislation aims to maintain consumer protections while aligning the law with current lending practices.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the State Employment Contract Regulation Act to limit severance pay for employees and officers in Michigan's executive and legislative branches. It generally prohibits contracts that offer more than 12 weeks of wages in severance, ban non-disclosure agreements that prevent reporting illegal activities, and require contracts to be fully disclosed to the public. Exceptions allowing higher severance or restricted contracts are permitted only if legal counsel determines they are necessary to protect public funds from litigation risks, provided such agreements include legal releases of claims. Additionally, the law mandates that any contract offering six weeks or more of severance be posted online within 28 days, while contracts for elected officials must be shared with legislative leaders within three days.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Michigan's Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act to streamline the permitting process for wetland development and clarify the roles of state and local governments. It requires the state department to post pending applications and public notices online while establishing a 60-day timeline for holding public hearings after receiving a complete permit application. The legislation also grants local units of government the authority to adopt their own wetland ordinances, provided they follow specific rules regarding wetland definitions and permit requirements. Additionally, the bill sets a 90-day deadline for local governments to review applications in areas with local ordinances, after which the application is automatically approved if no decision is made. Finally, it introduces a process allowing permit holders to request changes without restarting the entire application process, limiting the department's ability to add unrelated requirements.