HB 5308 requires Michigan watercraft owners to purchase an annual $35 "Great Lakes protection" decal. Revenue from these decals funds invasive species prevention and remediation efforts under Section 80124b. The bill mandates that the state agency discontinue sales if fewer than 2,000 decals are sold by September 2006, then fewer than 500 annually after that. It directly affects recreational boat owners in Michigan who must buy the decal to legally operate watercraft. The decal design is specified but placement rules allow flexibility for law enforcement.
HB 5375 prohibits charging interest on unpaid restitution of overpaid unemployment benefits when the overpayment resulted from specific errors, such as agency mistakes, employer errors, or system issues - not the claimant's fault. It requires the unemployment agency to waive existing interest charges and refund payments made for those errors, with refunds due within 180 days of the law's effective date. The bill also stops interest from accruing during pending appeals and applies retroactively to overpayments from February 2020 through December 2026. This directly affects claimants who received overpayments due to errors beyond their control.
SB 734 creates a bipartisan, bicameral joint oversight committee to review state agency audits. It requires the committee to have 8 members (max 4 from one party), appointed equally by House and Senate leadership, and mandates quarterly meetings to examine all completed audit reports from the auditor general. The committee can make recommendations to the legislature but cannot issue binding orders, and the bill’s effectiveness depends on a separate constitutional amendment (SJR G'25) being adopted. This is a procedural change affecting how audits are reviewed, not a policy impacting citizens or services.
HB 5397 eliminates a tax exemption for data center equipment under Michigan's Use Tax Act. It repeals Section 4cc, which previously allowed data center businesses to claim an exemption from use tax on equipment purchases. This change means data center operators will now pay the standard use tax on qualifying equipment instead of claiming the exemption. The bill directly affects data center businesses that previously utilized this tax exemption.
HB 5433 modifies Michigan's use tax law to clarify how trade-in values for vehicles affect taxable purchases. It specifically updates Section 2(f)(xii) to set annual limits on credit for traded-in motor vehicles: $2,000 through 2018, then increasing by $500 yearly to $5,000 starting January 1, 2019. This directly affects businesses and individuals buying new or used vehicles who trade in older models, as it caps the amount subtracted from the purchase price for tax calculation purposes. The bill ensures consistent application of these limits for both new and used vehicle transactions, without changing the overall tax rate.
HB 5431 allocates supplemental funding for Michigan public schools, primarily targeting districts affected by drinking water emergencies. It provides $10 million from the state school aid fund and $4.8 million from the general fund (2025-2026) for districts with at least 4,500 students (or 2,600+ post-2016) in cities with declared water emergencies, to hire staff like nurses and mental health workers and provide related services. The bill also allocates $12.5 million for educator talent programs through intermediate districts. All funds require reporting on service usage and must be expended by 2030.
HB 5429 is a supplemental appropriations bill that allocates additional state funding for the autism navigator program. It directly affects the program by providing dedicated financial resources to support its operations and services. The bill creates a new appropriation act to fund this specific initiative within the state budget for fiscal year 2026. This is a procedural funding measure, not a policy change, and it remains pending in the Appropriations Committee after its introduction on December 23, 2025.
HB 5396 eliminates a sales tax exemption for data center equipment in Michigan. The bill repeals Section 4ee of the General Sales Tax Act (MCL 205.54ee), which previously allowed data centers to avoid paying the standard 4% sales tax on equipment purchases. This change directly affects data center businesses operating in Michigan, requiring them to pay sales tax on qualifying equipment starting when the bill takes effect. The policy change removes a specific tax break, aligning data center equipment purchases with standard sales tax rules.
HB 5434 amends Michigan's Motor Carrier Fuel Tax Act to add a 15-cent tax per gallon equivalent on electric fuel used by motor carriers operating qualified commercial vehicles on Michigan roads. The tax applies to large trucks and vehicles meeting specific weight or axle criteria (e.g., 3+ axles or over 26,000 pounds gross weight) and must be paid quarterly alongside existing taxes on motor fuel and alternative fuel. This bill directly affects commercial trucking companies and motor carriers operating in Michigan, including those in interstate commerce. The change extends the existing fuel tax framework to include electric fuel, aligning it with current taxation practices for other fuel types.
HB 5439 creates the "Homeless Advocacy Fund" within Michigan's Department of Treasury, funded by money from the state's individual income tax system (specifically Section 435 of the 1967 Income Tax Act). The fund will provide annual support to the Michigan Coalition Against Homelessness for programs, policy improvements, and direct services aimed at ending homelessness. All money in the fund must be used solely for this purpose, with unspent funds rolling over each year instead of expiring. The bill requires companion legislation (HB 5440) to take effect.
