The Legislature remains in recess with regular sessions resuming Sept. 5. Rather than votes this report contains some interesting or noteworthy recent bill introductions.

House Bill 6101: Increase statute of lawsuit limitation on Flint water contamination

Introduced by Rep. Sheldon Neeley (D), to extend the statute of limitations to 10 years on filing lawsuits over damages caused by a water emergency (like the Flint contamination). Referred to committee, no further action at this time.

House Bill 6104: Authorize Intermediate School District police forces

Introduced by Rep. LaTanya Garrett (D), to permit Intermediate School Districts to create their own law enforcement agencies with the full powers of regular police agencies. Referred to committee, no further action at this time.

House Bill 6110: Limit using criminal background to bar occupational licensure

Introduced by Rep. Brandt Iden (R), to limit the use of criminal records to determine whether an individual is eligible to get an occupational license mandated by the state, which is required to earn a living in many professions. Specifically, a licensing board or agency could not consider past lawsuits against an individual as evidence of a “lack of good moral character;” and also could not consider a criminal conviction, in and of itself, as conclusive evidence of this, unless the individual was convicted of a felony that is explicitly listed in statute as a disqualifying offense for the particular license. Referred to committee, no further action at this time.

House Bill 6114: Review scope of occupational license mandates

Introduced by Rep. Lana Theis (R), to give a state Law Revision Commission the duty of reviewing whether occupational licensure mandates use the least restrictive regulation necessary to protect consumers, as defined in the bill. The commission would have to review 20 percent of existing mandates each year, and review bills proposing new ones. Among other things its analysis would have to apply “a rebuttable presumption that market competition and private remedies are sufficient to protect consumers,” and establish that if this is rebutted then it should tailor regulations “to address specific market failures identified.” If a licensure mandate fails the test the commission would have to recommend that the legislature repeal it, convert it to a less restrictive regulation, or instruct the relevant officials to promulgate a revised occupational regulation. Referred to committee, no further action at this time.

House Bill 6120: Criminalize selling kosher or halal food that isn’t

Introduced by Rep. Abdullah Hammoud (D), to make it a misdemeanor to knowingly sell food represented to be halal or kosher but isn’t. Referred to committee, no further action at this time.

House Bill 6134: Ban gun ownership for domestic violence misdemeanor

Introduced by Rep. Stephanie Chang (D), to prohibit a person convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence crimes from possessing firearms or ammunition for three years. Referred to committee, no further action at this time.

House Bill 6150: Revise pedestrian traffic rules

Introduced by Rep. Ronnie Peterson (D), to revise the rules for drivers yielding to pedestrians at an interchange. The bill would establish that where there is no traffic signal drivers must yield to “a pedestrian within a crosswalk when the pedestrian is on the half of the roadway on which the vehicle is traveling or is approaching so closely from the opposite half of the roadway as to be in danger.” The bill would also make it unlawful for a pedestrian to “suddenly leave a curb or other place of safety and walk or run into the path of a vehicle that is so close that it is impossible for the driver to yield.” Referred to committee, no further action at this time.

House Bill 6160: Mandate cosmetologists take human trafficking class

Introduced by Rep. Patrick Green (D), to mandate that individuals subject to the occupational licensure mandate imposed on cosmetology and related professions must take a domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking awareness course as a condition of getting their license renewed. Referred to committee, no further action at this time.

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Source: MichiganVotes.org, a free, non-partisan website created by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, providing concise, non-partisan, plain-English descriptions of every bill and vote in the Michigan House and Senate. Please visit www.MichiganVotes.org.