Sen. Sue Shink

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 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 modifies the regulations for licensing agricultural labor camps in Michigan by updating the language in the state's public health code. It requires the Department of Health to issue a license only after confirming that a camp meets specific minimum standards for construction, sanitation, water supply, and waste disposal. The license will be valid only for the remainder of the year it is issued and must clearly state the operator's compliance obligations and the specific duration of occupancy allowed. Additionally, the bill clarifies that these licenses cannot be transferred to another party without the department's written permission.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates Michigan's Shopping Reform and Modernization Act to clarify definitions and modify rules regarding how prices for consumer goods must be displayed at retail stores. It requires businesses to show the total price of items at the point of sale, with specific exceptions for goods sold by weight, vending machines, prepared food, small items under 30 cents, and motor vehicles. The legislation also expands the list of excluded items to include live plants, live animals, and certain gift merchandise, while assigning the state Department of Agriculture and Rural Development the duty to enforce these pricing standards.

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.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows specific military veterans and their families to apply for special Michigan license plates that identify their service or sacrifice. Eligible individuals include former prisoners of war, World War I veterans, Pearl Harbor survivors, Purple Heart recipients, and family members of active-duty soldiers, fallen service members, or those who lost a loved one while serving. To qualify, applicants must submit proof of their status to the Secretary of State, and the plates will feature unique designs such as "EX-POW," "WWI," "Pearl Harbor survivor," or "Gold Star Family" along with the vehicle owner's birthday expiration. The legislation also waives standard service fees for these applications and grants tax exemptions for the first plate issued to a prisoner of war, while requiring taxes on additional plates.

Maddy summarySB 1171 updates the Michigan Motor Fuels Quality Act by clarifying and expanding the definitions of various fuel-related terms to include modern energy sources. The bill specifically adds definitions for new concepts such as hydrogen fuel, biomass-based diesel, and cosolvents, while refining existing descriptions for items like ethanol and biodiesel. These changes directly affect fuel blenders, distributors, and dispensing facilities by ensuring regulatory language accurately reflects current fuel compositions and technologies. By amending multiple sections of the law, the legislation aims to improve consistency in how fuel quality and composition are identified and regulated across the state.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates Michigan's criminal record expungement laws by clarifying how multiple crimes committed at the same time are counted and by adding new eligibility rules for certain offenses. It allows people who committed several non-violent crimes within a 24-hour period to have them treated as a single conviction for expungement purposes, while still barring expungement for serious crimes like those involving weapons, long prison sentences, or domestic violence. The legislation also introduces a specific process for first-time operating while intoxicated convictions, permitting expungement only if the individual completes court-ordered rehabilitation programs and does not apply for expungement without a formal request. Additionally, the bill sets a seven-year waiting period before someone can apply to expunge more than one felony conviction and ensures that traffic-related expungements do not automatically remove violations from driving records.