Sen. Rosemary Bayer

Maddy summaryThis bill updates the timeline for filing legal claims related to groundwater contamination and environmental cleanup costs under Michigan's Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act. It establishes specific deadlines for lawsuits seeking response costs or natural resource damages, generally requiring claims to be filed within six years of starting cleanup work or three years after cleanup finishes. The legislation also sets a fixed cutoff date of July 1, 1994, for claims involving incidents that occurred before that time, while clarifying that this rule applies retroactively to ensure consistency with the original law.

Maddy summarySenate Bill 607 amends Michigan's Administrative Procedures Act to clarify what counts as a formal "rule" by explicitly excluding cleanup criteria and target detection limits set by the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy. This change ensures that specific environmental standards used to determine when a site is clean enough for reuse are not subject to the same rulemaking procedures as other agency regulations. The bill directly affects the state environmental agency by removing these technical environmental thresholds from the definition of a rule, while leaving the rest of the act's definitions largely unchanged.

Maddy summarySB 667 updates Michigan's Business Corporation Act to formally recognize and regulate benefit corporations, which are companies legally required to pursue a public benefit alongside profit. The bill amends existing sections to define key terms and establishes a new chapter outlining specific duties for the officers and directors of these entities. It also modernizes administrative procedures by mandating the acceptance of electronic filings and introducing expedited processing options with associated fees. These changes directly affect business owners and managers in Michigan who wish to incorporate as benefit corporations or those already operating under such structures.

Maddy summarySB 863 updates Michigan's sentencing laws to incorporate productivity credits for prisoners, allowing time earned through work programs to reduce their sentences. The bill amends the Code of Criminal Procedure to ensure that credits previously established by other legislation are formally recognized when calculating release dates for inmates. This change directly affects incarcerated individuals who have participated in prison work or educational programs, potentially shortening the time they must serve before becoming eligible for parole. By aligning the statute with existing credit systems, the measure aims to provide a clearer legal framework for sentence reductions based on inmate productivity.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates Michigan's Public Health Code to strengthen the regulation of onsite wastewater treatment systems, such as septic tanks, for properties not connected to public sewer lines. It establishes new definitions for various waste treatment methods and grants the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, along with local health departments, the authority to inspect, evaluate, and enforce compliance with these systems. The legislation also clarifies that connecting to a public sewer system is a public interest goal and outlines specific enforcement tools, including violation notices and warrant procedures, to ensure these systems do not threaten public health or water quality.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Michigan's Identity Theft Protection Act to update definitions and add new sections regarding data breaches and identity theft. It clarifies what constitutes a security breach by specifying that unauthorized access by employees acting in good faith for official duties does not count as a breach. The legislation also expands the definition of financial institutions to include various licensed lenders and sellers under state laws. Additionally, it provides clearer definitions for terms like "encrypted," "false pretenses," and "medical records" to ensure consistent application of the law. These changes aim to strengthen protections for individuals whose personal information is compromised while maintaining precise legal standards for enforcement agencies.

Maddy summarySB 1086 adds a new section to Michigan's firearm laws that creates a specific list of individuals who are exempt from the state's prohibition on selling firearms. This exemption applies to retired law enforcement officers, corrections officers, and parole or probation officers who retired in good standing. The bill defines these specific groups in detail and expands the existing legal framework to allow them to sell firearms without a standard license.

Maddy summaryThis bill restricts how Michigan public school academies can purchase or lease real estate from specific entities to prevent conflicts of interest. It prohibits these academies from buying or renting property from educational management organizations, their affiliated real estate holding companies, or any person connected to those companies. Additionally, the bill requires that all real estate transactions be approved by the academy's board of directors based on an independent appraisal to ensure market value and must be reviewed by the academy's authorizing body. If the authorizing body suspects a violation of these rules, it must notify the state superintendent of public instruction and the state board of education.

Maddy summaryThis bill adds a new section to Michigan's election law that imposes civil fines on individuals who knowingly make false statements about election details, voter eligibility, or voting penalties. The law specifically targets misinformation intended to stop people from voting and sets a maximum penalty of $1,000 for each violation. It also holds employers of election workers accountable with fines up to $10,000 unless they can prove they were unaware of the worker's intent to spread misinformation. Local governments are given a legal presumption that they did not know about such violations before they occurred.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Michigan's civil laws to update how the legal clock starts for lawsuits involving hazardous substances like groundwater contamination. Under the new rule, a victim's right to file a claim begins when they discover the harm or when they should have reasonably known about it, rather than from the date the contamination initially occurred. This change directly affects individuals or businesses seeking damages for environmental injuries by aligning the start of the legal filing period with the discovery of the problem. The provision simplifies the process for plaintiffs by ensuring the statute of limitations reflects when the issue became known to them.