Sen. Sue Shink

Maddy summarySB 518 establishes a framework for community solar facilities in Michigan, allowing multiple subscribers to share electricity generated from a single solar installation. The bill requires facilities to have at least 3 subscribers, limit capacity to 5 megawatts, and ensure 60% of capacity is subscribed by small users (40 kW or less). It defines "bill credits" that subscribers receive to offset their electricity bills based on their proportional share of the solar facility’s output. This directly affects residential and small business subscribers - particularly low-income households meeting HUD or poverty line criteria - and electric providers managing these programs.

Maddy summarySB 511 amends Michigan's gambling law to clarify and expand exceptions for small-scale social wagers. It allows informal betting among friends or groups (up to 100 people) where each person wagers no more than $25, the game is incidental to a social relationship, and organizers cannot profit beyond winning prizes like other participants. The bill explicitly prohibits such games from being promoted by businesses to attract customers or held in venues like bars. This change directly affects social groups hosting casual bets, ensuring these activities remain legal under specific, limited conditions.

Maddy summarySB 362 updates Michigan's definition of "racketeering" in the penal code to explicitly include "a felony violation of the identity theft protection act" (2004 PA 452). This means identity theft crimes now qualify as racketeering offenses, allowing prosecutors to pursue them under more severe racketeering statutes. The change directly affects individuals convicted of identity theft, as it expands the legal framework for charging such cases. The bill revises Section 159g of the penal code to add this specific reference, without creating new penalties or altering existing laws.

Maddy summarySB 364 updates Michigan's criminal procedure code to clarify jurisdiction rules for prosecuting identity theft cases. It specifies that identity theft violations under the Identity Theft Protection Act (2004 PA 452) and related laws can be prosecuted in three locations: where the crime occurred, where stolen data was used, or where the victim lives. The bill also ensures that if multiple identity theft violations are charged, any jurisdiction can handle all charges together, preventing fragmented prosecutions. This change directly affects prosecutors and courts handling identity theft cases under the listed statutes.

Maddy summarySB 361 amends Michigan's Deferred Presentment Service Transactions Act (2005 PA 244) to establish a statewide, real-time database for licensees providing deferred presentment services (like payday loans). The database requires licensees to verify customer transaction history, track compliance with federal regulations, and monitor violations - directly affecting businesses offering these services. Key provisions mandate the database provider (either state-operated or contracted) to prevent fraud, comply with the Identity Theft Protection Act, securely handle customer data, and automatically close transactions after specific timeframes. The bill also includes safeguards for consumers injured by third-party provider violations and requires detailed reporting on transaction closures.

Maddy summarySB 363 amends Michigan's criminal liability standards in Section 9 of the Revised Statutes (MCL 8.9) to clarify when a defendant must prove a specific mental state (like intent or knowledge) for a crime. The key provision updates the statute to explicitly exclude the Identity Theft Protection Act (2004 PA 452) from these new liability rules, ensuring existing standards for identity theft cases remain unchanged. This bill affects all criminal prosecutions under Michigan law except those specifically covered by the Identity Theft Protection Act. The change is procedural, updating statutory references without altering penalties or creating new requirements for identity theft offenses.

Maddy summarySenate Bill 360 amends Michigan's existing Identity Theft Protection Act. The bill revises and expands several key definitions, including what constitutes a "breach of the security of a database" and various types of "personal information" and "personal identifying information." These updates clarify the scope of protected data and the circumstances under which a security breach occurs, directly affecting Michigan residents and entities that handle their personal information. Additionally, the bill introduces new sections and repeals others, indicating a comprehensive update to the act's provisions.

Maddy summarySB 477 sets a 10% annual cap on the portion of an electric utility's weather-adjusted retail sales that can be served by alternative energy suppliers, directly affecting Michigan utilities and their customers seeking to switch providers. The bill includes key exceptions: facilities already using alternative suppliers since 2008 (including expansions), iron ore mines/processing facilities in the Upper Peninsula under specific settlement agreements, and customers on a pre-2016 enrollment queue. It requires utilities to maintain a confidential queue for new customers and adjust the cap downward if usage remains below 10% for five years. The law aims to balance customer choice with grid stability for Michigan's electric utilities.

Maddy summarySB 479 modifies Michigan's environmental permit process to require state agencies to evaluate projects in environmentally overburdened communities - typically areas with historical pollution and health disparities - before denying permits or adding conditions. The bill creates a new Subpart 2 under the permit law, mandating that agencies consider whether a project would worsen environmental harm in these communities and potentially impose additional safeguards. It also repeals the Environmental Permit Review Commission, which previously handled certain permit appeals. This change directly affects developers seeking permits for projects in designated overburdened areas and shifts permit review authority to state agencies.

Maddy summarySB 453 requires Michigan public school districts, intermediate districts, and public school academies to include one unit of age- and grade-appropriate Black history instruction in their history curriculum starting in the 2027-2028 school year. This instruction must cover Black contributions to U.S. society, the history of Black communities in Michigan and the Midwest (including discriminatory policies), and civil rights advancements. The bill also mandates a similar unit of Indigenous People history instruction with identical content requirements. The superintendent of public instruction must develop guidelines with input from cultural centers and scholars, and all instruction must be inclusive and non-discriminatory for all students.