5 bills to watch in the Michigan legislature: September 2022

The next article explains 5 payments which were launched, handed or signed into regulation by the Michigan State Legislature or Gov. Gretchen Whitmer all through the previous few weeks.

Every month, The Michigan Every day publishes a compilation of payments being floated round within the Michigan State Legislature for college students on the College of Michigan to learn about.

Elevated rules over acquiring emotional assist animal certifications

Standing: Handed by the Home

Launched by Rep. Sara Cambensy, D-Marquette, Home Invoice 5751 would set up the Emotional Help Animal Act, which might enable people with a incapacity to be licensed by a well being care supplier for an emotional assist animal. At present, beneath the Individuals with Disabilities Act, landlords should enable residents to have emotional assist animals in buildings that don’t enable animals. As requests for emotional assist animals enhance, landlords are involved most of the requests usually are not issued by a healthcare skilled.

The invoice would enhance rules on acquiring certification for an emotional assist animal, stating the healthcare supplier should set up a provider-patient relationship with the person with a incapacity for no less than 30 days earlier than they’ll certify the affected person’s want for an emotional assist animal. 

Below the invoice, the healthcare supplier would additionally must overview the affected person’s medical data with a view to assess the necessity, and certifications should observe the privateness provisions of the federal Well being Insurance coverage Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Healthcare suppliers can’t be paid for issuing the certification, and sellers are prohibited from falsely promoting certifications for animals that aren’t emotional assist animals.

Modifications to licensing necessities for youngster care organizations

Standing: Handed by the Home and Senate

Home Invoice 5980, launched by Rep. Stephanie Younger, D-Detroit, will set up requirements of care and rules for childcare organizations. The invoice requires childcare organizations to resume their license each two years. Starting on Jan. 1, 2023, foster care households or foster household teams might be given prolonged licenses if they’ve been licensed for no less than a 12 months and are in good standing with the division. The prolonged license is efficient for 3 years and have to be renewed each three years.

In a press launch, Younger stated this invoice is bipartisan and is organized by the Home Adoption and Foster Care Process Pressure. The invoice goals to scale back the quantity of paperwork for high-quality caregivers.

“My invoice, Home Invoice 5980, seems to streamline the foster residence licensure course of and cut back paperwork for high-quality caregivers (and) was permitted by the Senate Committee on Well being Coverage and Human Providers,” Younger wrote. 

Clear consuming water necessities in faculties 

Standing: Handed by the Senate

Senate Invoice 0184, launched by Sen. Curtis VanderWall, R-Ludington, requires every faculty to develop and implement a clear consuming water plan out there to the general public. Faculties might want to establish the situation of water taps and conduct testing on water high quality annually. Below the invoice, the plan have to be up to date each 5 years and observe the necessities of the Division of Atmosphere, Nice Lakes and Power (EGLE). 

By the tip of the 2024-2025 faculty 12 months, the invoice requires all water taps to have a filter put in. If the lead focus within the water samples is increased than one to 5 elements per billion, the college should search steerage from EGLE. This invoice is also called the “clear consuming water entry act.”

In a press launch, VanderWall stated lead contamination is a serious concern behind this invoice, and he hopes mandating water filters will assist resolve contaminations.

“We all know that growing old service traces, plumbing and different fixtures can add contaminates that aren’t initially current at group water sources,” VanderWall wrote. “On high of that, the patterns of college schedules — day without work over weekends, in addition to vacation and seasonal breaks — can enhance the danger of contaminants leaking into consuming water in periods when it stagnates unused.”

Examine of nuclear vitality in Michigan

Standing: Handed by the Home

Rep. Graham Filler, R-Clinton launched Home Invoice 6019, which requires the Michigan Public Service Fee (MPSC) to work with an outdoor consulting agency to conduct a examine on nuclear vitality technology within the state of Michigan. MPSC might be required to ship a report back to the governor, Speaker and minority chief of the Home, Senate majority and minority leaders and the chairpersons of the Home and Senate standing committees answerable for vitality and environmental safety points.

The examine would search to deal with the financial and environmental affect of nuclear vitality in Michigan and consider employee coaching and job creation. A timeline must be supplied for potential nuclear plant building. The examine additionally wants to supply potential insurance policies to deal with nuclear vitality. Stakeholders could be allowed to supply suggestions on the examine.

Based on a press launch, Filler stated nuclear vitality may very well be different for coal vegetation as a approach to supply inexpensive vitality.

“We’ve coal vegetation in Michigan which might be going to be taken offline quickly,” Filler wrote. “Nuclear vitality must be a part of the dialogue. There have been unimaginable technological advances within the discipline over the previous twenty years. It’s a protected approach to generate dependable energy with minimal environmental affect.”

Filler additionally stated that this examine will present worthwhile info to vitality buyers relating to nuclear vitality in Michigan.

“I consider this examine will present complete info that vitality suppliers, legislators and stakeholders may use as they make choices relating to the way forward for nuclear vitality in Michigan,” Filler stated.

Scholarship for future educators

Standing: Launched by the Home

If handed, the Home Invoice 6378 would set up a scholarship program for school college students who’re dedicated to turning into educators sooner or later. Launched by Rep. Mike Harris, R-Waterford, the invoice requires eligible college students to have graduated highschool or achieved an equal certificates, be enrolled in a instructing preparation program, have a grade level common of three.0 and be from the state of Michigan. So as to keep the scholarship, the coed should keep a GPA of three.0, take 24 credit in a faculty 12 months and keep residence within the state.

The scholarship awarded beneath this program wouldn’t exceed $10,000, as decided by the division of treasury, and the coed could renew the scholarship for as much as three years or till program completion. If a person doesn’t full the instructing preparation program or doesn’t meet the working requirement as a instructor, they have to pay the state a 0% curiosity mortgage that’s the similar quantity because the scholarship awarded inside 10 years.

Every day Workers Reporter Caroline Wang will be reached at wangca@umich.edu