Updates About Legislation

The Michigan Senate broke records during lame duck with a 29-hour session that ran from 10 a.m. Thursday to 3:01 p.m. Friday, passing over 90 bills before adjourning. Senate Democrats prioritized salvaging as much legislation as possible after House Democrats were unable to maintain a quorum due to a missing Democratic member and a Republican walkout. While most bills were passed in their original form and are now headed to the Governor’s desk, some were amended and sent back to the House, where they are unlikely to advance unless the House reconvenes earlier than December 31.

¶Key Bills Passed by the Senate:

• Requirement for Michigan schools to supply information to parents on firearm storage rules each year
• Allowing pharmacists to prescribe contraceptives and to require coverage of pharmacist-prescribed birth control methods
• Maternal Health bills designed to address the state’s high maternal mortality rates
• Lifting medical benefit plan caps to raise the amount public employers can contribute towards staff healthcare plans
• Prohibiting law enforcement from selling firearms obtained in gun buyback programs and requiring firearms obtained through buyback programs to be destroyed
• School Safety and Mental Health bill package intended to standardize school safety requirements

Governor Whitmer signed 17 bills into law aimed at expanding healthcare access, supporting workers’ rights, assisting Michigan families, and investing in outdoor recreation. Key initiatives include unionization rights for home care workers, rural healthcare funding, and anti-discrimination protections. Below is a summary of each bill:

• SB 790 and SB 791: Allows 35,000 home help workers in Michigan to unionize, enabling them to negotiate for better wages, benefits, and professional development opportunities.
• SB 701: Expands healthcare access by redefining “rural hospital” to include counties with populations up to 195,000, allowing more hospitals to qualify for funding.
• SB 817: Allocates funds from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund (MNRTF) for 18 land acquisition projects and 35 development projects, supporting outdoor recreation.
• SB 351: Expands anti-discrimination protections for breastfeeding parents, allowing them to pump in public settings.
• SB 150: Permits the Michigan Tax Tribunal’s small claims division to conduct virtual hearings, improving access by reducing travel-related costs and time for participants.
• SB 366: Aligns Michigan’s natural gas safety violation fines with federal standards, increasing accountability for gas providers and enhancing public safety.
• SB 744: Modifies requirements for teachers to complete their probationary employment period successfully.
• SB’s 926, 931, 933, and 934: Increases funding by $4 million per year for Michigan’s gaming and gambling prevention programs, with a focus on youth intervention and responsible gaming.
• SB 928: Removes a clause in Medicaid to ensure full coverage of birth expenses for approximately 66,000 unwed births, reducing costs for single mothers.
• SB 929: Redirects Medicaid funds to broaden access to a range of care centers, increasing healthcare access for low-income Michiganders and supporting healthcare workforce development.
• SB 932: Extends access to cash assistance under the Family Independence Program (FIP) from 48 to 60 months, providing additional support to Michigan families.
• SB 935: Sunsets the Raise the Age Fund, part of a broader initiative to keep minors under 17 in juvenile facilities rather than adult correctional facilities.
• SB 716: Allows owners of historical vehicles to obtain personalized license plates, celebrating Michigan’s automotive heritage.

Senate Bill 911 passed in the Senate along party lines (20-16) in favor of permanently reducing the retirement contribution cap for Michigan schools to reallocate more funds toward operations and education. Originally appearing as a one-time change in the fiscal year 2024-2025 budget beginning on October 1, SB 911 would cement the retirement reduction into law. The bill also accelerates the timeline for decreasing the unfunded actuarial accrued liability cap to 15.21% by the 2025-26 fiscal year for K-12 schools, faster than the House’s proposed 2027-28 timeline.

The legislation would also eliminate the 3% contribution to retirement health care benefits that is currently considered mandatory for Michigan Public School Employees’ Retirement System (MPSERS) members hired prior to September 2012. Supportive stakeholders consider the vote a significant win for public school classrooms, while opponents saw the bill as a destabilizer to the teacher pension fund. The bill now awaits further action in the House.