Snyder, Calley sign 79 bills into law in last 3 months

LANSING – After a slow start in the first quarter of the year when only nine bills were signed into law, legislators sent a flurry of bills to Gov. Rick Snyder for his signature in the last three months. And he complied.

Snyder or Lt. Gov. Brian Calley signed 79 bills into law since early April on everything from allowing faith-based adoption agencies to decline service to couples — such as same-sex or unmarried couples — if that relationship violates their religious beliefs, to letting schools have up to two bake sale fund-raisers a week.

And for the fifth consecutive year, Snyder also signed the annual state budget in early June, four months before the 2015-16 fiscal year begins.

Bills signed into law since April are:

PA 10: Allow the state Department of Treasury to disclose certain tax-exempt status on properties that could qualify for homestead property tax credit. HB 4051 sponsor: Rep. Jeff Farrington, R-Utica.

PA 11: Modify state vehicle code to comply with federal regulations for a commercial vehicle driver's license. SB 42 sponsor: Sen. Tom Casperson, R-Escanaba.

PA 12 and 13: Make it illegal to hunt or harass hunters with drones. SB 54-55 sponsor: Sen. Casperson.

PA 14-15: Modify rules regarding garnishment of paychecks: Increase garnishment fee from $6 to $35; require that garnishments stay in effect until judgment is satisfied; allow employers to deduct wages to satisfy garnishments without the employee's written consent. HB 4119-4120 sponsors: Reps. Daniela Garcia, R-Holland; Mike McCready, R-Birmingham.

PA 16: Allow retired federal law enforcement officers to carry a concealed weapon in pistol-free zones. SB 53 sponsor: Sen. Rick Jones, R-Grand Ledge.

PA 17: Modify the rules surrounding the issuance of financial recovery bonds for cities with a population of more than 600,000. Only Detroit qualifies and the bill is designed to save up to $3 million annually in interest payments. SB 160 sponsor: Sen. Darwin Booher, R-Evart.

PA 18-19: Provide for the transfer of land in Calhoun County from the federal government to the owners who have occupied the land. SB 18-19 sponsor: Sen. Mike Nofs, R-Battle Creek.

PA 20: Allow retired state workers to contract with the attorney general as an expert witness or consultant without forfeiting their retirement allowances during the time of the contract. SB 12 sponsor: Sen. Jones.

PA 21-29: Revise the definition and regulations of firearm to include BB and air guns; repeal law that prohibits a person under the age of 18 from using or possessing a BB gun. HB 4151-4156, 4160-4161 sponsors: Reps. Holly Hughes, R-White River Township; Joel Johnson, R-Clare; Triston Cole, R-Mancelona; Tom Barrett, R-Potterville; Brett Roberts, R-Eaton Township; Ray Franz, R-Onekama; Jason Sheppard, R-Temperance; Peter Pettalia, R-Presque Isle; Sen. Dave Hildenbrand, R-Lowell.

PA 30: Rename a portion of business loop I-94 as the Detective LaVern S. Brann Memorial Highway. SB 99 sponsor: Sen. Nofs.

PA 31-33: Expand the Holmes Youthful Trainee Act to people under the age of 24, instead of 21. Require the court to revoke the trainee status if the person is subsequently convicted of certain violent or firearm offenses. HB 4069, 4135 and 4169, sponsors: Rep. Harvey Santana, D-Detroit; Marcia Hovey-Wright, D-Muskegon; Kurt Heise, R-Plymouth.

PA 34-35: Expand the regulation and licensure of elevator repair contractors to include the installation and repair of residential stairway chairlifts and platform lifts. HB 4162-4163 sponsors: Reps. Aric Nesbitt, R-Lawton; Al Pscholka, R-Stevensville.

PA 36: Allow for electronic notification of demand for rent payment or eviction. HB 4038 sponsor: Rep. Anthony Forlini, R-Harrison Township.

PA 37-39: Establish a maximum charge of 25 cents per parcel record, not to exceed $1,500 per request, that county treasurers can charge for transcripts and abstracts of records. Increase from $1 to $5 the minimum fee a county treasurer can collect for descriptions of land contained in tax certificates filed with the register of deeds. HB 4075-4076 sponsor: Rep. Bruce Rendon, R-Lake City.

PA 38: Replace reference to department of labor and economic growth with Michigan Veterans' Affairs Agency. SB 52 sponsor: Sen. Jim Stamas, R-Midland.

PA 40: Amend the Mobile Home Commission Act to deal with inspections of mobile home parks, assurances that corrective actions are taken at distressed parks, increase the civil fine for violations and allow local health departments to order a mobile home park to shut down if there's an imminent danger to health or lives of residents. HB 4054 sponsor: Rep. Andy Schor, D-Lansing.

PA 41: Provide legal immunity for people donating food to nonprofit organizations or corporations that distribute donated food. HB 4017 sponsor: Rep. Farrington.

PA 42: Allow school districts to hold up to two bake sales a week, overturning Michigan Department of Education's policy that only healthy snacks be sold at fund-raisers. SB 139 sponsor: Sen. Patrick Colbeck, R-Canton.

PA 43: Allow the Flint city clerk to extend the filing deadline for candidates in the city's 2015 election to make up for the candidates being given the wrong filing deadline date. SB 329 sponsor: Sen. Jim Ananich, D-Flint.

PA 44: Allow veterans and active duty military members to receive college credit for some of the experience they gained in the military. HB 4060 sponsor: Rep. Hughes.

PA 45: Allow Michigan colleges and universities to enter into reciprocity agreements with public colleges and universities in other states. SB 221 sponsor: Sen. Tonya Schuitmaker, R-Lawton.

PA 46: Give local units of government until Dec. 31, 2018, to issue bonds to cover unfunded pension costs if they switch from a defined benefit to a defined contribution plan. SB 86 sponsor: Sen. Jack Brandenburg, R-Harrison Township.

PA 47: Allow banquet halls and other facilities that host private events the ability to base contracts on package pricing, rather than per-drink pricing. SB 271 sponsor: Sen. Wayne Schmidt. R-Traverse City.

PA 48: Allow insurance companies and salvage operators easier access to titles of vehicles. SB 196 sponsor: Casperson.

PA 49: Allow prisoners of any security level to be housed at a private correctional facility in Michigan. HB 4467 sponsor: Rep. Jon Bumstead, R-Newaygo.

PA 50, 51 and 52: Change state law to mirror federal regulations on parental custody agreement modifications for deployed service members. HB 4071, 4482 and SB 9 sponsors: Reps. Tom Barrett, R-Potterville; Klint Kesto, R-Commerce Township; and Sen. Jones.

PA 53, 54 and 55: Allow faith-based adoption agencies to refuse service to clients — such as same-sex or unmarried couples — if those relationships violate the agency's religious beliefs. HB 4188, 4189 and 4190 sponsors: Reps. Andrea LaFontaine, R-Columbus; Harvey Santana, D-Detroit; Eric Leutheuser, R-Hillsdale.

PA 56: Allow the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to withhold cash assistance payments to families with a child who is chronically truant from school. HB 4041 sponsor: Pscholka.

PA 57: Allow funding from Unemployment Insurance Agency to be used for workforce development and skilled trades training. HB 4404 sponsor: Rep. Larry Inman, R-Williamsburg.

PA 58: Repeal $10 monthly stipend given to individuals who leave welfare programs because their income has increased. HB 4409 sponsor: Rep. Earl Poleski, R-Jackson.

PA 59-78 and 82: Adjust fees on a variety of licensing and regulations and extends the sunset on the fees from 2015 to 2019. HB 4444, 4449, 4470, 4363, 4382, 4383, 4384, 4397, 4398, 4400, 4439, 4443, 4445, 4445, 4364, 4381, 4448, 4568, 4569, 4441.

PA 79: Allow taxpayers to withhold payment of taxes that are being contested before the state Court of Claims until the case is resolved. SB 100 sponsor: Brandenburg.

PA 80: Require that payment for catalytic converters, air conditioners and copper wire and pipe sold to a salvage yard be sent by the mail to the seller. SB 304 sponsor: Sen. Mike Kowall, R-White Lake.

PA 81: Require state Department of Health and Human Services to assume administrative costs for foster care services, instead of counties paying for those services. HB 4434 sponsor: Poleski.

PA 83: Increase inspections and oversight of commercial feed manufacturers. HB 4451 sponsor: Rep. Nancy Jenkins, R-Clayton.

PA 84 and 85: The general omnibus and the school aid omnibus budget bills totaling $54.5 billion when combined with federal funds coming into the state. SB 133 and HB 4114 sponsors: Hildenbrand and Pscholka.

PA 86: Curtail venture capital funds used by the Michigan Economic Development Corp. HB 4101 sponsor: Pscholka.

PA 87: Raise civil liability for owner of a horse that causes injury, death or property damage. HB 4175 sponsor: Rep. Joel Johnson. R-Clare.

PA 88: Remove a provision in state law that requires anyone who wants to become a building inspector or plan reviewer to be an employee of a government agency. HB 4245 sponsor: Forlini.

PA 89-94: Remove the words "crippled children" from state laws and replace it with "children and youth with special health care needs." HB 4203-4205 and SB 112-114.

Contact Kathleen Gray: 517-372-8661, kgray99@freepress.com or on Twitter @michpoligal.

Find out more?

To get more information and track the progress of bills, go to www.legislature.mi.gov.

To contact the governor's office, go to: www.michigan.gov/snyder

To contact legislators, go to:www.house.michigan.gov/MHRPublic/ and www.senate.michigan.gov/senatorinfo.html