Sen. Mary Cavanagh

Maddy summaryThis bill updates the definitions within Michigan's Child Care Organizations Act to clarify who and what falls under state regulation. It specifically revises the criteria for "child care staff members" and "child care organizations" to include a broader range of workers and facilities, such as therapeutic group homes and certain camps. The legislation also removes a previous provision that excluded licensed camps from the act's definition of a child care organization. These changes ensure that the law's terminology accurately reflects the variety of settings and personnel involved in caring for minors.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the Camp Licensing Act to create a new regulatory framework for camps in Michigan that provide care and supervision to more than four campers for five or more days in a two-week period. It requires these organizations, including day, residential, and travel camps, to obtain state licenses and adhere to specific safety standards overseen by the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. A key provision mandates that staff and administrators undergo criminal history checks, disqualifying individuals with certain convictions related to violence, abuse, or sexual misconduct from working at these facilities. The legislation also sets up a dedicated fund to support licensing operations and includes provisions for liability immunity for licensed camps while prohibiting specific conduct regarding the reporting of incidents.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates sentencing guidelines in Michigan for specific crimes related to child care and foster care licensing, such as failing to report criminal charges or submitting false reports. It directly affects licensed child care organizations, employees, foster family homes, and group homes by clarifying the maximum penalties for these offenses. The legislation sets a two-year maximum sentence for failure to report arraignment issues and a variable maximum for false reports that trigger high-risk investigations. This change only takes effect on September 1, 2025, and will not become law unless a companion bill, Senate Bill 692, is also enacted.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Michigan's Department of Health and Human Services to screen children entering foster care for eligibility for state and federal benefits within 90 days and to apply for those benefits if it serves the child's best interests. Starting in October 2026, the state generally cannot use a child's earned income or benefits to pay for their foster care, though exceptions exist for special needs services or conserving funds for future needs. The department must act as a responsible manager of these funds, providing regular accounting to the child and their guardian ad litem, and offering financial literacy training to older youth. Additionally, the law mandates that any assets or income the child owns be transferred to them when they leave the system or turn 18.

Maddy summarySB 1153 updates the formula used to calculate financial transfers between the state and local governments when roads change jurisdiction. The bill requires the state transportation department to annually determine the mileage of roads transferred to or from state, county, city, or village control. It establishes that funding transfers will be based on the average revenue worth per mile of the road type involved, with specific rules for how miles are counted in cities with populations of 25,000 or more. This legislation directly affects the state transportation department, counties, cities, and villages by adjusting how funds are allocated during road jurisdictional changes.

Maddy summarySB 1156 amends Michigan's Fair and Open Competition in Governmental Construction Act to strengthen rules against requiring contractors to adhere to specific labor agreements in public projects. The bill prohibits government entities from including terms in contracts, grants, or tax incentives that force bidders or contractors to join or avoid collective bargaining organizations, ensuring decisions are based on merit rather than labor status. It also declares any such prohibited terms in bid documents as automatically invalid and allows exemptions only for projects facing imminent threats to public health or safety. By repealing previous sections, the legislation aims to clarify and expand protections for businesses participating in government construction and related funding programs.

Maddy summaryThis bill, known as the Michigan Fair Chance Access to Housing Act, establishes new rules for landlords regarding how they can use criminal history when screening rental applicants. It generally prohibits landlords from asking about criminal records on applications, advertising that they deny tenants based on such records, or making decisions solely on an applicant's criminal history before issuing a conditional offer to rent. However, the law allows landlords to consider specific serious offenses, such as convictions for arson, human trafficking, certain sexual crimes, and felonies committed within the last three years, provided they conduct an individualized assessment that considers mitigating factors like rehabilitation and employment. The legislation also requires landlords to clearly disclose their screening policies to applicants and gives those applicants the opportunity to provide evidence of inaccuracies or rehabilitation before a conditional offer is withdrawn.

Maddy summarySB 1155 amends Michigan's Consumer Protection Act to explicitly prohibit landlords and tenants from engaging in unfair, deceptive, or unconscionable trade practices. The bill expands existing definitions of unlawful behavior to include specific actions such as making false claims about property conditions, misrepresenting the need for repairs, or using deceptive tactics regarding lease terms and fees. By clarifying these prohibited acts, the legislation aims to provide clearer standards for what constitutes unfair trade practices in residential housing transactions. This update directly affects both property owners and renters by reinforcing legal protections against misleading representations and abusive sales tactics.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates Michigan's search warrant laws to allow judges and magistrates to issue warrants using electronic methods, such as computer networks or fax, rather than requiring in-person interactions. It permits affidavits and warrants to be transmitted digitally and enables judges to sign these documents from any location within the state. The legislation also clarifies that digital copies of these documents serve as official originals and establishes a timeline for when search warrant affidavits become public records, with exceptions for ongoing investigations. These changes directly affect law enforcement agencies, courts, and judges by modernizing the procedures for obtaining and executing search warrants.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits the sale and application of coal tar sealants and other high-polluting pavement sealants within Michigan to reduce environmental contamination. It defines these restricted products by their chemical composition and sets up a system where sellers must keep records of any exemptions for up to three years. The law allows the state director to grant written exceptions for specific research or technology development purposes and establishes a $5,000 fine for violations.