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SendIt2Press

Updated October 10, 2008

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Hot Bills We're Watching

All Senate Bills We're Watching

All House Bills We're Watching

This page contains a list of the legislation that Michigan Press Association is following. MPA has not taken a position on each of these bills; they are being tracked because they may have some impact on the newspaper industry in Michigan.

Clicking the bill number will take you to the details of the legislation on the Michigan Legislature site, and will open a new window. Newest bills are listed first.

Bills highlighted in pink denote FOIA or OMA relevance.

Bills highlighted in red denote a potential FOIA or OMA exemption.

Bills highlighted in orange denote public notice legislation.

Bills highlighted in gold denote very important bills for newspapers to watch closely.

Bills highlighted in green denote environmental/ recycling issues.

Bills highlighted in blue denote very important tax issues for newspapers to watch closely.

Bills highlighted in lavender denote very important bills for newspapers to watch closely.

If you have any questions about upcoming legislation please contact Public Affairs Manager Lisa McGraw at (517) 372-2424 or lisa@michiganpress.org.

SENATE BILLS

Senate	Sponsor	Why it impacts newspapers.
SB 1495	Birkholz	Provides for inspections of on-site watewater treatment systems. The bill creates an advisory council that would be subject to OMA and FOIA.
SB 1497	McManus	Establishes a loan guarantee program for certain farmers. The board overseeing the loans would be subject to OMA.
SB 1452	Cropsey	Revise the search warrant law. MPA is going to ask that the number of day before release of the affadavit is shortened.
SB 1413	Cropsey	Allow MI to participate in the national crime prevention and privacy compact. Meetings of the council formed by this compact would be open to the public.
SB 1383	Kahn	Exempts newspaper carriers from using a seat belt when delivering.
SB 1355	Jacobs	Would require emergency rooms to offer emergency contraception in the case of sexual assault. They would then have to file a report with the number of times it was administered. Though no names are in the report it would still not be subject to FOIA.
SB 1350	Whitmer	Requires criminal background checks for employees of the Michigan School for the Deaf and Blind. The records of the checks are subject to FOIA only after 15 days and only for certain crimes. (Same as the public school employees)
SB 1307	Olshove	Allows a stay of foreclosure for unpaid property taxes. Retains current newspaper notice language.
SB 1286	Allen	Deals with special police and fire assessments and clarifies the definition of certain tax exempt land. Retains current newspaper notice language.
SB 1249	Birkholz	Authorize local government units to establish storm water utilities. Requires newspaper notice of meetings.
SB 1081	Prusi	Revises the procedures to approve an annexation petition in Village Laws. Maintains and clarifies current newspaper language.
SB 1063	Switalski	Requires person responsible for improperly treated sewage to provide and annual report of discharges. Maintains current newspaper noticing language.
SB 1050	Sanborn	Provides for regionalization of certain city managed water and sewer (Detroit). Requires compliance with OMA and FOIA.
SB 1038	Cassis	Technical amendments to the definition of gross receipts in the Michigan Business Tax Act. May impact newspapers.
SB 1037	Prusi	Amends forest language in the natural resources act. Maintains current newspaper language.
SB 1033	Schauer	Requires catastrophic claims association meetings comply with OMA.
SB 1030	Anderson	Requires catastrophic claims association meetings comply with OMA and that records be available under FOIA.
SB 1010	Jacobs	Allows ISDs to request a millage to establish an early childhood education program. Would be subject to current newspaper language, FOIA and OMA.
SB 983	Clark	Creates a right of publicity.
SB 947	Patterson	Provide for the 21st Century Energy Plan. Would be subject to current newspaper language, FOIA and OMA.
SB 585	Patterson	Clarifies some parts of the public utilities act. States that nonpublic information submitted by someone under this new sections should be considered confidential and exempt from FOIA by the Public Service Commission.
SB 560	McManus	Expands the clean air ombudsman position to include water pollution programs too. Requires that some information be held in confidence unless it violates FOIA.
SB 537	Hunter	Amends the Brownfield Act. Maintains current newspaper notice language.
SB 536	Thomas	Amends the Brownfield Act. Maintains current newspaper notice language.
SB 440	Birkholz	Authorizes the Natural Resources Commission to establish policies for the protection of peoples right to hunt and fish. The meetings of the Commission are subject to OMA.
SB 331	Switalski	Creates a disclosure program to allow the names of delinquent tax payers to be published. Currently the bill says that the list would be available on the Internet. MPA would like to have a newspaper notice included in the language.
SB 307	Brater	Provide for a sales tax on services.
SB 278	George	Creates a board to help ensure affordable and reliable health care. This board is subject to FOIA.
SB 268	Hunter	Creates neighborhood improvement districts. The board governing the district creation is subject to OMA.
SB 264	Schauer	Exempts the Employment Relations Commission from OMA.
SB 157	McManus	Create an advisory panel to provide for an environmental compliance guide for small business. Provides an exemption from FOIA for business's information that is provided to the department.
SB 112	Birkholz	Establish a land use leadership council. The council would be subject to OMA and FOIA
SB 89	Basham	Authorizes a site review board to grant or deny permits for hazardous waste storage, treatment and disposal facility construction. Maintains current newspaper notice requirements.
SB 55	Pappageorge	Exempt new construction on principal residence from property tax. Requires public notice in newspapers for hearings held on granting the exemption.
SB 49	Whitmer	Creates a women's history commission. The Commission would be subject to OMA and FOIA.
SB 47	Allen	Provide for a water improvement tax increment financing authority. The board in charge of this would be subject to OMA and FOIA
SB 26	Stamas	Provide for allocation of tax increment finance authority funds for tourism improvements. The board in charge of this would be subject to OMA and FOIA.
SB 17	Thomas	Establishes a regional transportation authority in Detroit. The Board would be subject to OMA and FOIA

HOUSE BILLS

House Bill	Sponsor	Why it impacts newspapers.
HB 6509	Clemente	Expands the eligibility of the aerotropolis authority regarding development area. Requires authority to be subject to OMA and FOIA per old law.
HB 6507	Clemente	Creates aertotropolis renaissance zone. The development corporation associated with this would be subject to OMA/FOIA.
HB 6503	Byrnes	Expands the eligibility of the aerotropolis authority regarding development area. Expands newspaper posting.
HB 6484	Pavlov	Creates a county promise authority to oversee a college scholarship program. The authority would be subject to OMA and FOIA.
HB 6450	Farrah	Provides exceptions to the proposed smoking ban in public places. Would allow for a FOIA exemption from information submitted to be considered for an exemption.
HB 6410	Hune	Amend insurance code regarding chiropractic services. Maintains current newspaper notice language.
HB 6388	Miller	Would allow for a public hearing for nursing home licensing.
HB 6295	Proos	Make meetings of nonprofit corporations formed by counties subject to OMA.
HB 6270	Bennett	Provides for privatization criteria for school employees. Would require that all contracts made with private companies be subject to FOIA.
HB 6258	LeBlanc	Makes clear the provisions regarding distribution of federal and state funds for transportation. Maintains current newspaper language.
HB 6242	Ball	Exempts newspaper carriers from using a seat belt when delivering.
HB 6212	Calley	Would provide for a FOIA exemption in publication of a name change petition if the petition seeks to change the name of a minor and the parental rights of the minor have been relinquished.
HB 6170	Ball	Revises notice requirements for the show cause hearing and foreclosure hearings in delinquent tax cases. Maintains current newspaper notice language.
HB 6167	Gaffney	Revises the process for the 2nd notice of foreclosure.Maintains current newspaper notice language.
HB 6162	Tobocman	Revises property tax exemptions. Would require newspaper notice of the availability of the exemption.
HB 6160	Nitz	Require reporting for the volume and pricing of petroleum and would create an oversight commission. The commission would be subject to OMA and FOIA.
HB 6121	Pearce	Would require an authority that wants to provide improvments to publish a summary of their rules and regulations in a newspaper.
HB 6114	Miller	Forms a transit revitalization investment zone. There is some newspaper notice requirement in this bill and the authority that handles it would be subject to OMA and FOIA.
HB 6111	Miller	Requires conditions for privatizing and disclosure of information concerning a privatized state service. All records would be subject to FOIA.
HB 6109	Smith, V.	Forms a private college campus security act. Requires that records pertaining to campus security are open to FOIA.
HB 6089	DeRoche	Forms a foster care trust fund. The board that oversees this fund would be subject to OMA and FOIA.
HB 6070	Mayes	Mondifies funding for emergency 911 enabling act. Maintains current language that information given to a county by a service supplier may not be subject to FOIA.
HB 6058	Johnson	Eliminates the reference to funding from expired background check pilot program for adult foster care workers. Maintains language in current law that the database generated for the background checks is not subject to FOIA.
HB 6057	Jackson	Requires mental health facilities and agencies to incur costs for employee background checks. Maintains language in current law that the database generated from the background checks is not subject to FOIA.
HB 6056	Johnson	Requires health facilities and agencies to incur costs for employee background checks. Maintains language in current law that the database generated from the background checks is not subject to FOIA.
HB 6048	Warren	Would require emergency rooms to offer emergency contraception in the case of sexual assault. They would then have to file a report with the number of times it was administered. Though no names are in the report it would still not be subject to FOIA.
HB 6033	Sak	Modify and provide for additional enforcement of the cemetary regulation act. Establishes an endowment fund that allows for a FOIA exemption with regard to information about the owners of the cemetary that is not relevant to the cemetary.
HB 6020	Miller	Modifies the number of years before certain property can be subjected to foreclosure. Maintains newspaper language.
HB 5986	Sak	Creates a Right of Publicity Act.
HB 5960	Opsommer	Establishes an interstate compact on educational opportunity for military children. Contains some Open Meetings exemptions.
HB 5954	Spade	Calls for forfeiture of assets in crimes involving identity theft. Requires newspaper notice.
HB 5947	Tobocman	Creates art districts and the process for designating. Requires compliance with OMA and FOIA.
HB 5907	McDowell	Would allow posting of special or irregular meetings on websites under the open meetings act.
HB 5871	Elsenheimer	Allows the sale of certain forestland. Maintains current newspaper notice language.
HB 5824	LaJoy	Revises the procedures to approve annexation petitions. Would allow for posting of public notice at public places rather than newspapers as opposed to in addition to newspapers.
HB 5797	Byrnes	Provides an exemption from the MBT surcharge for newspapers with a circulation under 4000 that print with recycled ink. Also allows the same exemptions from gross receipts as the advertising agencies receive.
HB 5690	Hood	Creates a regional convention facility authority. The authority would be subject to OMA and FOIA.
HB 5681	Tobocman	Allows certain electronic communication and makes other general changes to the business, nonprofit corporation law. Maintains current newspaper notice language.
HB 5644	Jones	Establishes voter approval for creation of a police and fire special assessment in the property tax law. Maintains current newspaper notice language.
HB 5639	Spade	Amends the Michigan-based business preference in bid processing for school jobs. Maintains current newspaper language.
HB 5630	Sheltrown	Changes some language for the procedure for dissolution of a lake board. Maintains current newspaper posting language.
HB 5613	Sak	Creates a regional infrastructure Authority. Requires the authority to follow OMA and FOIA
HB 5612	Sak	Would impose a 1-cent recycling fee on sales transactions.
HB 5592	Palsrok	Creates a Michigan Port Authority. Requires the authority to follow OMA and FOIA.
HB 5581	Bauer	Establishes an elder death review team. Would exempt information reviewed by the team from FOIA.
HB 5577	Wojno	Maintains current language in law that keeps criminal background information about nursing home employs exempt from disclosure.
HB 5557	Stahl	Would exempt the names and addresses of minors who have been victims of child abuse or sex crimes from FOIA.
HB 5520	Miller	Provide for approval of proposed sale of generating plants. Would exempt nonpublic information and materials submitted by an electric utility under this section.
HB 5475	Law, David	Creates a passenger bill or rights for airline passengers. Would exempt records in a complaint file that contain trade secrets or proprietary business information.
HB 5267	Wenke	Allows for a taxing jurisdiction to opt out of capture for economic development. Maintains current newspaper posting requirements.
HB 5266	Wenke	Would allow a taxing jurisdiction to opt out of capture in a local development financing authority action. Maintains current newspaper posting language.
HB 5265	Wenke	Would allow a taxing jurisdiction to opt out of capture in a DDA action. Maintains current newspaper posting language.
HB 5182	Amos	Maintains current newspaper notice language in the Tax Increment Finance Authority Act.
HB 5180	Amos	Maintains current newspaper notice language in the Local Development Finance Act.
HB 5178	Jones	Maintains current newspaper notice language in the Downtown Development Authority Act.
HB 5137	Hoogendyke	Would require the creation of a searchable database listing all state expenditures.
HB 5116	Wenke	Requires legislative office budgets and expenditures to be public records.
HB 5111	Sak	Maintains current newspaper posting language in the cigarette law section regarding seizure of property.
HB 5090	Stakoe	Exempts the home address and home phone number of a public employee from FOIA.
HB 5072	Valentine	Changes in the regulation of bottled water facilities. Requires more disclosure under FOIA.
HB 5070	Sak	Modify authority for water users committees and local ordinances. Meetings of these committees will be subject to the open meetings act.
HB 5023	Byrum	Makes technical revisions to the zoning enabling act. Requires newspaper notice.
HB 5008	Huizenga	Repeal and enact uniform securities act. Requires that most records obtained under this act be public records. However several records are provided exemptions.
HB 4999	V. Smith	Amends the no fault insurance act and requires disclosure of records by insurance commissioner and public notice of base rate increases.
HB 4973	Miller	Exempts the employment relations commission from OMA.
HB 4964	Condino	Creates a sentencing guidelines commission within the Legislature. The commission would comply with OMA and FOIA.
HB 4952	Palmer	Creates and Environmental Ombudsman. Provides for FOIA exemption o f reports and recommendations the office files with the Commission.
HB 4948	Warren	Prohibit disclosure of business audit for real or person property in the property tax process. Exempts identifying information from FOIA.
HB 4895	Sheltrown	Extend the property tax foreclosure process to 3 years. Maintains current notice requirements.
HB 4858	Hoogendyke	Requires school districts to publish their statement of percentage of funding spent on instruction. They can put it on their Web and in their annual report. They are also required to send it electronically to the legislature.
HB 4839	Farrah	Clarifies the procedures for the disposition of abandoned vehicles. Maintains current newspaper notice language.
HB 4819	Meadows	Creates a Senior Medical Alert Program. Requires reporting of seniors to newspapers. Makes news providers immune from civil liability.
HB 4724	Jones	Provides for new regulations in requirements for expert testimony in a tort action. Maintains criminal background checks for experts who are licensed health care professionals.
HB 4688	Nitz	ncreases the amount the drain commissioner can spend on maintenance of a drain. Changes current notice language to make it either newspapers or mail rather than both.
HB 4686	Caswell	Would require Dept. of Labor and Econ. Growth to administer exams for property tax assessment officers. The board governing this process is subject to OMA/FOIA.
HB 4676	Sak	Requires the Michigan Catastrophic Claims Assoc. to comply with OMA.
HB 4675	Sak	Requires the Michigan Catastrophic Claims Assoc. to comply with FOIA.
HB 4642	Mayes	Provides for new language in the current drain code. Maintains current newspaper notice language.
HB 4627	Law	Would establish a commission on pay equity. The commission would be subject to OMA and FOIA.
HB 4611	Jones	Would create an act to deal with former law enforcement officers and the qualifications sot get a CCW. This act would create a registry and the registry would not be subject to FOIA.
HB 4544	Law	Would create committee to review statutory mandates. The committee would be subject to OMA and FOIA.
HB 4542	LaJoy	Would create a committee on government efficiency. The committee would be subject to OMA and FOIA.
HB 4486	Ebli	Regulate the development of solid waste management plans. Requires notice of public hearings in a newspaper.
HB 4477	Schuitmaker	Provides for criminal background checks for adult foster care providers. There is no language exempting this information from disclosure.
HB 4415	Ward	Changes provisions of contributions and expenditures in the campaign finance law. Creates a Michigan McCain-Feingold like law.
HB 4290	Hammel	Transfers to functions of an appointed county road commission to the county board of commissioners. Maintains current newspaper notice requirements.
HB 4286	Cheeks	Modifies the Property tax redemption process. Strengthens current newspaper posting requirements.
HB 4233	Caswell	Clarifies who is authorized to request and receive certain records of birth and marriage.
HB 4222	Brown	Earmarks certain funding and surcharges on solid waste entering landfills. Involves newspaper recycling and new programs to promote recycling.
HB 4202	Cushingberry	Creates a new act to bring about a single payer health care system. This bill would create some entities for oversight that would be subject to OMA.
HB 4199	Vagnozzi	Creates a do-not-mail list that would allow people to opt-out of receiving junk mail.
HB 4187	Proos	Allows for information submitted in the process of a public utility restructuring to be exempt from FOIA.
HB 4131	Moss	Creates a regional water and sewer district. Provides that the board would be subject to OMA and FOIA.
HB 4118	Hansen	Permits a per parcel levy for a mileages assessed for police and fire districts. Maintains current newspaper notice language.
HB 4110	LaJoy	Allows for the posting of board meeting minutes on a township website and allow for them not to be in newspapers.
HB 4020	Jones	Revise membership and standard for determining necessity of a project with regard to drain boards of determination. Maintains current newspaper notice language.