Updates About Legislation

Governor Whitmer recently signed legislation allocating $152 million for infrastructure upgrades at Selfridge Air National Guard Base in preparation for a new mission. The signing ceremony took place at the 2026 Mackinac Policy Conference, where Whitmer thanked both President Biden and President Trump as well as lawmakers on both sides of the aisle for the effort.

The funding will be used for various upgrades, repairs, and construction projects such as runway improvements and new jet hangars. Whitmer and Brigadier General Daniel Kramer stressed the importance of the investment to both Macomb County and Michigan’s broader economy and military future.

Recently, SB 296 and SB 297, sponsored by Stephanie Chang (D-Detroit) and Ed McBroom (R-Vulcan), passed the Michigan Senate. The two bills aim at limiting mandatory nurse overtime, and hope to improve patient care and reduce nurse burnout by requiring hospitals to provide nurses with at least eight hours off after a 12-hour shift. This excludes shifts served during public health emergencies, state of emergencies, and mass casualty events. Senators McBroom and Joseph Bellino (Monroe) were the only Republicans to join the Democrats for a final vote tally of 21-16.

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.