Sen. Sylvia Santana

Maddy summarySB 354 amends Michigan's 1971 Home Solicitation Sales Act by removing telephone solicitation regulations that were previously part of the law. It repeals sections MCL 445.111a through 445.111e (which governed telephone solicitations) and updates the title and key sections (MCL 445.111 and 445.113) to reflect this change. This bill directly affects businesses that make phone solicitations by eliminating specific regulatory requirements they previously had to follow. The key mechanism is the repeal of the telephone solicitation provisions, streamlining the law to focus only on home solicitation rules. The bill does not create new requirements but removes existing telephone solicitation rules from the statute.

Maddy summarySB 355 repeals a 1913 Michigan law (MCL 484.125) that regulated telephone companies as public utilities and set rules for their operations. The bill removes outdated requirements about telephone company consolidation, equipment use, and Public Service Commission oversight. This directly affects telephone companies and state regulators by eliminating historical regulatory provisions. The repeal is conditional on another bill (SB 351) being enacted, but does not create new rules or impact current services.

Maddy summarySB 353 amends Michigan's Consumer Protection Act to strengthen rules against deceptive telephone solicitations. It specifically requires businesses to clearly disclose environmental marketing claims (like "recycled" or "biodegradable") and to provide full written terms for prizes offered in exchange for attending sales presentations. The bill directly affects businesses making phone calls to consumers, mandating transparency to prevent misleading claims about product origins, environmental benefits, or prize conditions. These changes update existing law to address modern deceptive practices in phone-based sales.

Maddy summarySB 352 removes a $150 filing fee requirement for cases where the Attorney General enforces the Telephone Solicitation Act (specifically actions under section 33 of that law). This change directly affects the Attorney General’s office when pursuing violations of Michigan’s telephone solicitation rules. The bill amends Michigan’s court fee statute (MCL 600.2529) to exclude these enforcement actions from standard civil filing fees. As a result, the Attorney General would no longer need to pay this $150 fee when initiating such cases in court.

Maddy summarySB 351 would create a new law governing telephone marketing calls and solicitations. It has been introduced by Senator Mary Cavanagh and referred to the Finance, Insurance, and Consumer Protection Committee. The bill's specific provisions (such as required disclosures, opt-out mechanisms, or enforcement details) are not described in the provided context. As a procedural bill establishing a new regulatory framework, it directly affects businesses making phone solicitations and consumers receiving such calls. Details about its concrete policy changes remain unavailable based on the current information.

Maddy summaryThis resolution formally recognizes January 2026 as Muslim American Heritage Month in Michigan. It does not create new laws or policies but serves as a symbolic gesture to honor the contributions of Muslim Americans to Michigan's cultural, economic, and social life. The resolution highlights their historical and ongoing roles in fields like STEM, business, and community leadership, particularly within Michigan's diverse communities in cities like Dearborn, Hamtramck, and Detroit. It encourages all citizens to learn about and celebrate this heritage.

Maddy summarySB 772 requires health insurers in Michigan to reimburse telehealth visits at the same rate as in-person visits, using the same billing codes. It prohibits insurers from mandating face-to-face visits for services that can be safely provided via telemedicine, as determined by the treating healthcare professional. This applies to all health insurance policies covering telehealth services, directly affecting insurers, healthcare providers, and patients using telehealth. The bill ensures telehealth coverage parity without adding new requirements for providers or altering patient cost-sharing (like copays or deductibles). It modifies existing insurance code language to standardize reimbursement practices for telemedicine.

Maddy summaryThis resolution designates January 2026 as Human Trafficking Prevention Month in Michigan. It formally recognizes the ongoing efforts of law enforcement, advocacy groups, and service providers working to combat human trafficking and support survivors, while emphasizing the importance of public awareness in identifying and preventing trafficking. The resolution does not create new laws or funding but serves as a symbolic acknowledgment to advance prevention awareness.

Maddy summarySB 764, the "Open Caption Accessibility Act," requires movie theaters with 8 or more screens to provide open captioning for at least two weekly showings of each film that plays five or more times per week (Friday-Thursday). Open captioning means captions displayed on screen that cannot be turned off, directly benefiting deaf and hard-of-hearing moviegoers. Theaters must advertise captioned showings similarly to other screenings, post public notices about requesting captioned showings, and maintain records for the Attorney General’s office. This law applies to all qualifying theaters operating in Michigan, with enforcement through the Department of Attorney General.

Maddy summarySB 765 allocates $10 million from the state general fund to create a menopause navigator program under Michigan's Department of Health and Human Services for the 2025-2026 fiscal year. The program provides resources and support for women managing menopause-related health concerns, as defined in the state's public health code. The funds must be used exclusively for this purpose, with no other designated uses specified in the bill.