Rep. Matt Longjohn

Maddy summaryMichigan House Bill 6293 establishes the MiNURSES program within the state health department to increase the recruitment, placement, and retention of primary care nurses in rural and urban underserved areas. The bill provides financial assistance for nursing education loans or scholarships to nurses who agree to a two-year service obligation working full-time in designated underserved locations. Payments are made as lump sums at the end of each year of service, funded by a new state treasury account that can receive money from various sources. An advisory commission is created to make recommendations on program operations, and the department must publish an annual report detailing the program's cost-effectiveness, successes, and challenges.

Maddy summaryMichigan House Bill 6294 creates a new individual income tax credit for health care professionals who serve as preceptors for student clinical rotations at approved state institutions. For tax years between 2027 and 2031, eligible preceptors can claim $1,000 for every 250 hours of supervision completed, with a maximum annual credit of $3,000. To qualify, the professional must not receive any other payment for their preceptor services and must submit certified documentation verifying their hours when filing their tax return. Any portion of the credit that exceeds the taxpayer's total tax liability for the year will be refunded to them.

Maddy summaryMichigan House Bill 6300 amends the state's Freedom of Information Act to explicitly extend public records transparency requirements to the state legislature and the governor's office. The bill establishes specific procedures for these bodies to designate FOIA coordinators, process record requests, and handle appeals or civil actions for denied disclosures. It also defines a comprehensive list of exemptions for legislative and executive records, such as constituent communications, internal investigations, and security information, while clarifying that these new transparency rules do not override constitutional privileges and immunities.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates euchre as the official game of the state of Michigan. It creates a new act to formally establish this title in state law. The legislation does not impose any regulations or restrictions on how the game is played, but rather serves as a symbolic designation for the state.

Maddy summaryMichigan House Bill 6288 directs the state Department of Health and Human Services to seek federal approval for enrolling specific Medicaid-eligible individuals into managed care plans, while requiring these plans to spend at least 12% of their annual budget on primary care over an eight-year period. The bill mandates that hospitals accept Medicare rates as full payment from uninsured patients with incomes up to 250% of the federal poverty level and establishes a performance bonus system for health plans based on quality metrics such as fraud detection, substance use disorder treatment, and consumer satisfaction. Additionally, it requires contracted health plans to submit annual reports detailing their primary care spending levels and outlines provisions for telemedicine access, pharmaceutical cost controls, and the sharing of state data with qualified vendors to improve population health management.

Maddy summaryMichigan House Bill 6292 establishes the Michigan Doctors in Underserved, Rural, and Systemic Equity Settings (MiDOCS) program within the state's Department of Health to address physician shortages in underserved communities. The bill requires the department to partner with medical schools to create at least one new primary care residency slot per school and to recruit physicians for these areas. In exchange for a two-year full-time service obligation in an assigned underserved community, the program provides participating physicians with loan repayment assistance paid annually upon completion of their service. Additionally, the legislation creates a dedicated state fund to finance the program and establishes an advisory commission composed of health sector representatives to guide its implementation and oversight.

Maddy summaryMichigan House Bill 6274 establishes a state basic health program to provide medical coverage for low-income residents who do not qualify for Medicaid or affordable employer-sponsored insurance. The bill targets individuals aged 65 and under with incomes between 133% and 200% of the federal poverty guidelines, as well as lawfully present noncitizens earning below 200% of that threshold. It creates a dedicated trust fund to finance the program and requires the state department to develop a program blueprint for federal certification within six months of forming a stakeholder advisory group. Key provisions include automatic enrollment for individuals transitioning from Medicaid, sliding-scale premiums based on income, and a requirement that no one earning below 133% of the poverty line pay any premiums or cost-sharing.

Maddy summaryMichigan House Bill 6295 creates a state grant program to help medical, nursing, and other health professions schools promote primary care careers to middle school and high school students. The Department of Health and Human Services would administer the program by awarding grants to eligible educational institutions that agree to conduct outreach activities targeting these younger student groups. A dedicated fund within the state treasury would support the grants, with money carried over from year to year rather than expiring. The department is also required to publish an annual public report detailing the program's cost-effectiveness, successes, challenges, and recommendations for future changes.

Maddy summaryHB 6289 establishes the Primary Care Access, Improvement, and Transformation Commission within Michigan's Department of Health and Human Services to advise on strategies for expanding access to affordable primary care. The commission will consist of 21 members appointed by the governor from lists provided by various medical, nursing, hospital, and advocacy organizations, representing a broad range of stakeholders including physicians, community health workers, insurers, and patients. Its key duties include recommending ways to increase state spending on primary care by at least 12%, analyzing other states' models and federal innovation programs, and publishing an annual report on workforce trends, payer spending, and the impact of artificial intelligence. The bill also requires the commission to hold regional meetings for public feedback and mandates a review of its continued necessity after eight years, with the act itself expiring ten years after it takes effect.

Maddy summaryMichigan House Bill 6291 establishes a new "medical education debt stabilization for students program" administered by the state's higher education loan authority. The bill authorizes loans specifically for residents enrolled in graduate-level medical, nursing, or physician assistant programs within Michigan who are training in high-demand specialties such as family practice, internal medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics, psychiatry, and emergency medicine. To be eligible, applicants must have already exhausted the maximum aggregate limit of federal student loans authorized under the Higher Education Act of 1965. This program aims to provide additional financial support to medical trainees in these specific fields who can no longer access further federal borrowing.