Sen. Roger Victory

Maddy summaryThis bill is a concurrent resolution that formally honors Bruce Patterson, a former Michigan state legislator who served in both the House of Representatives and Senate. It recognizes his public service career, which included leadership roles in committees on energy policy, environmental protection, and consumer rights, as well as his advocacy for nursing home care and water pollution control. The resolution expresses the Legislature's tribute to his memory and directs that copies be sent to his family.

Maddy summarySB 798 amends Michigan's school immunization law to restrict exemptions from required vaccines. It eliminates the option for parents to claim exemptions based on "other objections" (like personal or philosophical beliefs), allowing exemptions only for religious reasons. This directly affects parents of children entering kindergarten or grade 7 who previously could cite non-religious objections. The bill maintains existing requirements for vision screenings and reporting immunization status to health authorities, but narrows the acceptable exemption categories under school enrollment rules.

Maddy summarySB 797 prevents Michigan's health department from creating stricter rules or requiring specific forms for school immunization exemptions. It protects the existing exemption categories: medical exemptions certified by a physician and religious/philosophical exemptions documented via a written statement. The bill ensures no additional requirements can be imposed beyond what's currently allowed under Michigan law (MCL 333.9215), directly affecting children seeking exemption from school immunization mandates. This is a procedural clarification, not a new policy change.

Maddy summarySB 781 creates a special Upper Peninsula vehicle registration plate that drivers can choose instead of standard plates. Vehicle owners pay additional fees ($25 for new plates, $10 for renewals) that fund a dedicated grant program. The money supports Upper Peninsula projects focused on commerce, arts, and history through grants administered by the newly created Upper Peninsula Board. The bill establishes the Board (appointed by the governor) to manage grants and a Plate Commission to design the special plate, with funds disbursed annually starting September 2028.

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 summarySB 158 prohibits the use of automated programs (bots) to purchase event tickets online in bulk. It directly affects consumers trying to buy tickets fairly and venues or ticket sellers using such bots to manipulate sales. The bill creates a new legal prohibition against these automated ticket-buying practices, making it illegal for businesses to deploy them. This policy change aims to prevent scalping and ensure equitable access to tickets for the general public.