Maddy summarySB 585 requires conservators (appointed to manage the estates of protected individuals, such as minors without parental rights or adults under guardianship) to obtain a court-approved appraisal from a licensed professional before selling a protected individual's principal residence or real property. The appraisal must be conducted within six months of the sale, and the court must determine the sale is in the protected individual's best interest before approving it. This change applies specifically to sales of real property and adds a formal valuation requirement to existing conservator powers under Michigan law. The bill amends Section 5423 of the Estates and Protected Individuals Code to ensure objective property valuation in significant financial decisions.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summarySB 586 amends Michigan's guardianship law to require courts to document on the record why moving a person under guardianship (a "ward") from their current residence is necessary. It also mandates that guardians consult with the ward before making major decisions affecting them, such as changes to their living situation. The bill specifically updates sections 5306 and 5314 of Michigan's Estates and Protected Individuals Code to clarify these requirements. These changes directly affect guardians, wards under guardianship, and courts overseeing guardianship cases.
Maddy summarySB 1113 updates Michigan's rules for becoming a certified public accountant by clarifying education and experience requirements. To qualify, applicants must complete at least 150 semester credit hours in accounting and pass a standard examination, while the required work experience is set at one year for those with a baccalaureate degree or post-baccalaureate degree and two years for those with only 120 credit hours. The bill also defines which types of professional work count toward these experience requirements and excludes non-professional tasks like bookkeeping. Additionally, the law establishes criteria for out-of-state accountants to practice in Michigan without obtaining a local license if they hold a substantially equivalent credential from another jurisdiction.
Maddy summaryThis bill is a memorial resolution honoring the life and public service of R. Robert Geake, a former Michigan legislator who served in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. The text details his extensive career, including his legislative work on committees focused on education, mental health, and children's welfare, as well as his later roles as an investigator and chair of the Office of the Children's Ombudsman and the Legislative Retirement System Board. The resolution formally expresses the Legislature's tribute to his dedication and instructs that copies of the document be sent to his family.
Maddy summaryThis bill, known as the Energy Pricing Protection Act, prohibits businesses from charging excessively high prices for gasoline, propane, and home heating oil during market disruptions. It defines a market disruption as events like natural disasters, strikes, or emergencies and sets a 20% price increase threshold as the limit for what is considered unjustified, unless sellers can prove higher costs or prior discounts caused the rise. The law applies to anyone selling these essential energy products but excludes utilities regulated by state or federal commissions. Enforcement is handled by state and local prosecutors, who can issue written demands for documents and testimony and file court actions against violators, with investigative details kept confidential until a formal charge is made.
Maddy summaryThis bill creates the Hotel and Lodging Pricing Protection Act to stop businesses from raising room rates by more than 20% during a declared state of emergency unless they can prove the increase is due to higher costs or pre-existing contracts. The law applies to hotels, bed and breakfasts, campgrounds, and short-term rentals like Airbnb, but excludes large resort-managed units. It allows prosecutors to investigate violations by issuing legal demands for documents and testimony, with courts empowered to enforce compliance if the investigation is deemed proper.
Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the Commodities and Emergency Services and Supplies Pricing Protection Act to stop businesses from raising prices unfairly during a declared state of emergency. It specifically targets sales of building materials, food, emergency supplies, medical items, and general goods, defining an illegal price hike as an increase of more than 20% compared to pre-emergency rates unless the seller can prove higher costs. The law prohibits charging or offering these items at excessively high prices and grants prosecutors the power to investigate violations by demanding documents and testimony from suspected violators.
Maddy summarySenate Bill 959 requires railroads operating in Michigan to install and maintain wayside detector systems that scan trains for defects like hot wheel bearings and dragging equipment. The bill sets specific rules for how often these systems must be placed along tracks, depending on the size of the railroad, and mandates that alerts be sent immediately to train operators so they can stop or repair issues safely. It also gives the state Office of Rail the authority to investigate railroads that refuse to cooperate and requires a report on derailments caused by bearing or axle failures by the end of 2028.
Maddy summarySB 1011 creates a new state-regulated program called a small business health pool to offer health coverage to Michigan employers with fewer than 500 employees and eligible self-employed individuals. This initiative requires these businesses to join a nonprofit sponsoring association that meets specific financial and operational standards, ensuring the group is stable and has a legitimate business purpose beyond just providing insurance. The bill establishes rules for how these pools operate, allowing them to be fully insured, level-funded, or self-funded while mandating that they cover essential health benefits and cannot discriminate based on health status or claims history. Additionally, the legislation creates a state-funded reinsurance program to reimburse 60% of catastrophic claims between $75,000 and $250,000 per person to help stabilize premiums. The Department of Insurance will oversee the program by reviewing financial solvency and compliance, but it will not approve insurance rates except for fully insured products.
Maddy summarySB 433 requires Michigan's Department of Health and Human Services to create and distribute multilingual (English, Spanish, Arabic) informational notices about the health risks of high-potency THC cannabis products and vaping to parents of K-12 students. Starting in the 2026-2027 school year, public and nonpublic schools must provide these notices to parents annually by October 1 and post a link to the department's website on their own sites. The notices must be updated yearly to reflect new health research, and the bill grants immunity from civil liability to schools and state agencies for distributing them. This bill directly affects all Michigan schools and parents of enrolled students, focusing on preventive health education.