Updates About Legislation

Last week, the Michigan Senate passed a bipartisan bill package offering relief for Michiganders with medical debt. SB 449, SB 450, and SB 451, championed by Senators Sarah Anthony (D-Lansing) and Jonathan Lindsey (R-Coldwater), passed with substantial support across both political caucuses. The bills would require hospitals to implements financial assistance plans for managing a patient’s medical debt and would change rules that currently allow for what critics say is aggressive debt collection.

Two related bills introduced by Anthony and Lindsey also passed unanimously last week. SB 701 and SB 702 would provide protections for patients by establishing maximum interest rates for medical debt and removing excessive late fees on medical debt for a minimum of 90 days after a patient receives their final invoice. The bills would also prohibit debt collectors and healthcare facilities from having a patient arrested, garnishing their wages, or foreclosing on their home as a means of collecting medical debt.

All five bills were subsequently referred to the House Health Policy committee.

On Wednesday, an eight bill package (SB 691 - 698) that would make significant changes to the state’s current election and campaign finance laws passed out of the Senate with support from Senate Democrats and Republicans. The bill that would have the most impact is SB 691 introduced by Senator Sam Singh (D-East Lansing), which would move the current August primary up to May and would allow for February primaries.

Also included in the bill package is SB 697, sponsored by Senator Dayna Polehanki (D-Livonia), which lowers the number of petition signatures needed for statewide candidates. Singh bill SB 698 creates a single, set schedule for campaign finance reports with four filings each year. The remaining bills make updates to align the law with the changes proposed in SB 691.

If passed by the House, the changes would take effect in 2028. Currently, Michigan is one of nineteen states that hold their primary election in August or later. The bills still have a long journey ahead, including testimony and votes in the House Election Integrity Committee, final passage from the House, and signing off by the Governor before becoming law.

The state House and Senate have been in gridlock for months over legislation that would keep Michigan in the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact (IMLC), which currently allows 8,000 physicians to practice in the state using their home state license. If legislation extending the compact is not passed by its expiration date of March 28, estimates say over 100,000+ Michiganders will be negatively affected through canceled appointments and loss of medical providers.

The spat between the two chambers does not stem from disputing policy language or the legislation’s intent, but rather over which lawmaker will receive credit for sponsoring the bill. Last May, the Senate passed SB 303, which was introduced by Senator Roger Hauck (R-Mount Pleasant), who represents a solidly Republican district. Twin bill HB 5455 was then introduced in January by Representative Rylee Linting (R-Wyandotte), who resides in a highly competitive district. HB 5455 was then voted out of the House and transmitted to the Senate.

Since early February, the House and Senate bills have sat in each other’s chambers without action, despite vocal concerns from various stakeholders about the approaching deadline.

Yesterday, in an unexpected twist, the House and Senate struck a deal to pass one of the IMLC bills before the Senate adjourns for Spring Break next Thursday. The House has agreed to pass an unrelated bill sponsored by Senator Kevin Hertel (D-Saint Clair Shores) in exchange for HB 5455. The deal offers wins for both vulnerable Republican Rylee Linting and Democrat Kevin Hertel as they prepare for two of the fiercest campaign races Michigan will see this year.

The Senate is expected to vote on the IMLC bill next week and send it to the Governor before the March 28 deadline.