Sen. Veronica Klinefelt

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Michigan's Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act to explicitly prohibit housing discrimination based on a person's source of income. It directly affects landlords, real estate brokers, and anyone involved in property transactions by banning them from refusing to rent or sell homes to individuals using government assistance, veterans benefits, Social Security, or other legal income sources. The law clarifies that these protections apply to all forms of discrimination, including refusing to negotiate, making false claims about property availability, or publishing advertisements that exclude people based on how they pay rent. By adding "source of income" to the list of protected categories, the legislation ensures that housing opportunities cannot be denied solely because a tenant relies on subsidies or retirement funds.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Michigan's penal code to strengthen protections for victims of human trafficking during legal proceedings. It allows courts to admit expert testimony explaining how trafficking victims may behave differently than expected and clarifies that a victim's testimony does not require corroboration. Additionally, the law ensures that victims cannot be forced to testify or produce documents if doing so might incriminate them, with the strict rule that any truthful information they provide cannot be used against them in a criminal case except to challenge their credibility or prove they lied.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Michigan's Code of Criminal Procedure to allow prosecutors to introduce evidence of a defendant's prior acts of domestic violence or sexual assault in current trials for those same crimes. To ensure fairness, the law requires prosecutors to disclose this prior evidence to the defense at least 15 days before the trial begins. The bill also sets a general rule that evidence of acts older than 10 years is inadmissible unless specific conditions are met, such as the prior act being reported to police within five years or resulting in a DNA match. These changes apply to cases where the defendant is accused of offenses involving domestic violence, sexual assault, or specific violations of the Michigan penal code.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Michigan's criminal procedure code to allow hearsay testimony in specific human trafficking and prostitution cases. It permits the admission of statements made to law enforcement that describe threats of physical injury, provided the statement was made recently and under circumstances indicating its trustworthiness. Prosecutors must disclose these statements to the defense at least 15 days before trial to ensure fair access to evidence. The changes apply only to cases involving domestic violence, sexual assault, or the specified sex crimes, leaving other legal proceedings unaffected.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Michigan's use tax to exempt data center equipment purchased for qualified data centers and their contractors, provided the equipment is used within the facility's operations or permanently installed in the building. The exemption for standard data centers is conditional, requiring the state to verify that at least 400 related jobs are created by 2022 and 1,000 jobs by 2026 to continue the tax break after those dates. For larger enterprise data centers, the exemption is available for up to 65 years if the facility receives a certificate from the Michigan Strategic Fund confirming it meets specific job and investment criteria. To claim this exemption, operators must apply for and receive a certificate from the state before purchasing the equipment and must report their purchases and employment data to the Michigan Strategic Fund.

Maddy summarySB 206 amends Michigan's landlord-tenant law to explicitly include various forms of financial assistance, such as Section 8 vouchers and emergency rental aid, as a protected "source of income" under the state's fair housing laws. This change prohibits landlords from discriminating against prospective tenants based on the specific programs or benefits they use to pay rent, provided the income is not derived illegally. The bill defines "source of income" broadly to cover federal, state, and local subsidy programs, ensuring that individuals relying on these funds have the same housing opportunities as those with other income sources. By clarifying these definitions within the existing legal framework, the legislation aims to prevent unfair treatment of tenants who depend on government or nonprofit assistance to secure housing.

Maddy summaryThis law prohibits landlords in Michigan from discriminating against tenants or prospective tenants based on their source of income, such as housing vouchers or subsidies. It forbids landlords from denying housing, setting different terms, or advertising preferences related to how a tenant pays rent. Additionally, the bill requires that any income threshold for renting must be calculated after subtracting the value of rent vouchers or subsidies. People who suffer financial loss due to a violation can sue for actual damages or up to 4.5 times the monthly rent, plus legal fees.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates Michigan's unemployment insurance system by increasing the maximum weekly benefit amount and adjusting how payments are calculated for dependents starting in 2025. It directly affects unemployed individuals who file for benefits, raising the weekly payment cap to $446 in 2025, $530 in 2026, and $614 in 2027. The legislation also changes the calculation method for dependents, increasing the additional weekly allowance per dependent from $6 to $12.66 in 2025, with further increases planned for subsequent years. These changes are designed to provide higher financial support to eligible claimers while maintaining specific rules for verifying dependent status and preventing fraud.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates Michigan's energy assistance program to change who qualifies for help and how funds are managed. It adjusts eligibility rules so that households earning up to 150% of the federal poverty line receive aid until September 2025, after which the limit shifts to 60% of the state median income. The legislation also allows the state department of health and human services to set stricter verification guidelines for applicants and requires that at least 90% of funds given to outside contractors be used directly for energy assistance. Additionally, the bill defines specific situations that constitute a "crisis," such as receiving a past-due notice or having a low fuel tank level, to prioritize aid for those in immediate need.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Michigan's penal code to explicitly prohibit the manufacture, sale, and possession of bump stocks. A bump stock is defined as a device that allows a semiautomatic firearm to fire multiple rounds with a single trigger pull by using the weapon's recoil energy to reset the trigger automatically. Violating this new prohibition would result in a felony charge punishable by up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $2,500, or both. The law includes exceptions for licensed federal manufacturers and certain self-defense spray devices, but it strictly targets the specific mechanism of the bump stock device.