Sen. Ed McBroom

Maddy summarySB 605 amends Michigan's Child Protection Law (MCL 722.627) to add "a state legislator" as an authorized recipient of confidential child abuse and neglect records. This change directly affects state legislators seeking such records, child protective services agencies handling the records, and families whose records may be disclosed. The key mechanism updates the existing list of permitted recipients to include legislators, who can now access records for legislative oversight purposes under the same confidentiality safeguards applied to other authorized entities. The bill does not alter how records are handled by existing authorized parties like courts, healthcare providers, or child welfare agencies.

Maddy summarySB 587 requires Michigan's Public Service Commission to submit a detailed report to the House and Senate energy committees before approving any rate increase for gas, electric, or steam utilities. The report must explain the proposed increase, its justification, and expected impact on customers. Committees then have 30 days to hold a public hearing and issue a nonbinding recommendation to the commission. This change applies to all utilities seeking rate hikes and adds a legislative review step before final approval. The bill modifies existing rate approval procedures without altering the core process for utilities to file applications.

Maddy summarySB 589 requires Michigan public school districts and intermediate school districts to allow homeschooled or nonpublic school students to participate in extracurricular activities offered by those schools. It directly affects eligible children who live in the district, are homeschooled or attend nonpublic school, and meet standard participation requirements. The bill mandates that school boards cannot block such participation and must ensure their district isn’t part of any athletic conference or association with exclusionary policies. Covered activities include sports, theater, band/orchestra, and debate teams, with the goal of expanding access for nonpublic school students.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a 10% cap on the portion of an electric utility's retail sales that can be served by alternative electric suppliers, meaning no more than 10% of a utility's customers may switch to alternative providers at any time. The cap can be adjusted downward if less than 10% of sales are already with alternatives, but must return to 10% after five years without adjustment. Exceptions allow specific customers - like those with facilities continuously served by alternatives since 2008 or Upper Peninsula iron ore facilities under settlement agreements - to exceed the cap for their operations. The bill also maintains a queue for customers waiting to switch to alternatives as of December 2015, requiring utilities to manage these requests annually. These changes directly affect Michigan electric utilities, their retail customers, and alternative energy providers seeking to serve them.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes a constitutional amendment requiring Michigan's state budget bills to be passed into law by a specific annual deadline. If the budget isn't enacted by that date, both state legislators and the governor would lose their pay until the budget is approved. The amendment modifies three sections of the state constitution to establish this deadline and link compensation to budget passage. It specifically targets the general appropriation bills that fund state operations, not other legislation. The deadline is defined by existing law (MCL 18.1365) as the date set for budget enactment each year.

Maddy summarySB 519 requires Michigan's Public Service Commission to create rules enabling community solar programs. It mandates that at least 30% of electricity from each facility must serve low-income households or organizations, ensures subscribers can transfer their solar credits when moving within the same utility area, and prevents utilities from changing a customer's rate class for joining solar programs. The bill also establishes bill credit rates based on utility rates (excluding distribution costs) to ensure all customer groups can access community solar. These rules directly affect electric providers, low-income households, and all Michigan residents who may subscribe to community solar facilities.

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 528 allows foreclosure sales of homes or property to be conducted virtually instead of only in person. It amends Michigan law to require that online sales use secure, reliable platforms accessible to all bidders, with the highest bidder paying within 24 hours (excluding weekends/holidays). This change directly affects homeowners facing foreclosure, mortgage lenders, and county sheriffs conducting sales, as it provides an alternative method for public sales under Michigan's foreclosure process. The bill does not alter eligibility for bidders or the 24-hour payment requirement but updates the procedural mechanism for holding sales.

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 474 changes how Michigan courts handle legal challenges to state laws that may have been enacted without following required constitutional procedures. It creates a rebuttable presumption that statutes complied with procedural requirements (like proper voting), shifting the burden to challengers who must prove otherwise with "clear, satisfactory, and convincing evidence." Courts may also consider outside documents (e.g., legislative records) as evidence in these cases. If a procedural error is confirmed, courts must apply severability rules to separate the effective date from the law's substance. This bill directly affects courts and parties challenging laws' enactment procedures.