Gov. Gretchen Whitmer delivers her proposal for the state’s Fiscal Year 2025 budget on Feb. 7, 2024. (Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance)
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Thursday signed 16 bills aimed at achieving a variety of goals, including expanding access to apprenticeship programs, affordable housing options, and eligibility for the MiABLE savings program, which assists Michiganders with disabilities.
With Thursday’s signatures, Whitmer’s office says she has now signed a record 1,443 bipartisan bills into law since taking office.
“I am proud to sign these commonsense, bipartisan bills into law that will help Michiganders keep more money in their pockets so they can stay warm and safe,” said Whitmer. “From supporting affordable housing initiatives to ensuring Michiganders can take advantage of apprenticeship programs, these bills will build on our work to lower costs and ensure everyone has the support they need to ‘make it’ in Michigan.”
Among the bills signed into law was House Bill 5783, sponsored by state Rep. Christine Morse (D-Texas Twp.), which will support Michiganders pursuing apprenticeships by ensuring the Michigan Education Savings Program (MESP) allows withdrawal amounts to be used to make student loan payments as well cover expenses for fees, books, supplies, and other equipment required for an apprenticeship program.
House Bill 5781, sponsored by state Rep. Sharon MacDonell (D-Troy), updates the Michigan Achieving a Better Life Experience (MiABLE) savings program by providing tax-free rollovers from 529 educational plans to MiABLE accounts, allowing users to fund costs associated with their education, housing, transportation, and more. The change will increase eligibility for 500,000 disabled individuals and their families.
Several bills were directed toward expanding affordable housing options, including House Bill 5030, sponsored by state Rep. Betsy Coffia (D-Traverse City), which gives the Michigan State Housing and Development Authority (MSHDA) more flexibility to respond to market conditions by giving the authority the discretion to cancel its own debt rather than being required to do so upon purchasing it. That is expected to streamline MSHDA’s operations, allowing the authority to better use its resources to address Michigan’s accessible housing shortage.
House Bill 5031, sponsored by House Minority Leader Ranjeev Puri (D-Canton), will allow for better representation within MSHDA by amending the scope of participation of the designated resident member of MSHDA, which the Whitmer administration says bolsters its commitment to expanding affordable housing for all Michiganders. The goal is, along with HB 5030, the bills will help save potentially millions of dollars that will go towards supporting affordable housing.
House Bill 5032, sponsored by state Rep. Will Snyder (D-Muskegon), is also aimed at expanding affordable housing options for Michiganders across the state by removing outdated caps and increases the maximum purchase price or maximum appraised value for loans made by MSHDA for eligible purchasers while also increasing the allowable purchase price of property if unexpected costs arose during construction from $3,500 to $10,000 for property used by disabled individuals.
Also signed were House Bills 4062 and 4063, sponsored by state Reps. Jennifer Conlin (D-Ann Arbor) and Jason Morgan (D-Ann Arbor), respectively, which are part of package of bills that expand access to affordable housing by preventing landlords, with five or more rental units, from denying a tenant housing based on their source of income.
Specifically, the bills allow for legal recourse for individuals who suffered a loss because of a landlord’s source of income discrimination. The changes are expected to help more than 34,000 families afford a roof over their heads and will create more affordable housing options for Michiganders across the state. These bills complement Senate Bills 205, 206 and 207 which Gov. Whitmer signed in December.
The Senate bills had previously been approved by both chambers, but were tie-barred to the two House bills, which passed the upper chamber during the lame duck session.
Expanding affordable housing options is also at the heart of House Bills 4675 and 4679, both sponsored by state Rep. Kristian Grant (D-Grand Rapids), which exempt land bank authorities from state and local government’s special assessments and user fees, ensuring affordable housing options remain available to individuals and communities in need.
Other bills include House Bill 5594, sponsored by state Rep. Phil Skaggs (D-East Grand Rapids), which strengthens child labor laws by transferring the work permit authorization system for minors from schools to the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO), streamlining the process and lifting the administrative burden off of schools, ensuring minors are properly accounted for when they enter the workforce.
House Bill 5736, sponsored by state Rep. Denise Mentzer (D-Mt. Clemens), will help Michigan veterans obtain services and resources by requiring employers to have a workplace posting with information on veteran’s benefits and services in the state.
House Bill 6075, sponsored by state Rep. Helena Scott (D-Detroit), will require the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to notify Michigan Energy Assistance Program (MEAP) participants of their eligibility for other services, including energy waste reduction products. The additional savings are expected to better allow Michiganders to pay bills and make their homes energy efficient all year round. The bills complement Senate Bills 353, 880 and 881, which Whitmer signed in December.
House Bills 5060 and 5523, sponsored by state Reps. Amos O’Neal (D-Saginaw) and Carol Glanville (D-Walker), respectively, replace and update the Michigan Economic and Social Opportunity Act to benefit low-income Michiganders by ensuring the state can continue receiving federal funding from the Community Services Block Grant program intended to alleviate poverty and support low-income individuals.
House Bill 5922, sponsored by state Rep. Jaime Greene (R-Richmond), maintains historic road funding for Macomb and Kent counties by changing the local population ranges used in distributing funding for road projects that alleviate traffic congestion. These projects improve local infrastructure, maintaining road safety, and protecting residents’ wallets from costly repairs.
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