House Journal 21

No. 21

STATE OF MICHIGAN

JOURNAL

OF THE

House of Representatives

103rd Legislature

REGULAR SESSION OF 2026

House Chamber, Lansing, Wednesday, March 11, 2026.

1:30 p.m.

The House was called to order by the Speaker Pro Tempore.

The roll was called by the Clerk of the House of Representatives, who announced that a quorum was present.

Alexander—present	Foreman—present	McFall—present	Schuette—present
Andrews—present	Fox—present	McKinney—present	Scott—present
Aragona—present	Frisbie—present	Meerman—present	Skaggs—present
Arbit—present	Glanville—present	Mentzer—present	Slagh—present
BeGole—present	Grant—present	Miller—present	Smit—present
Beson—present	Green, P.—present	Morgan—present	Snyder—present
Bierlein—present	Greene, J.—present	Mueller—present	St. Germaine—present
Bohnak—present	Hall—present	Myers-Phillips—present	Steckloff—present
Bollin—present	Harris—present	Neeley—present	Steele—present
Borton—present	Herzberg—present	Neyer—present	Tate—present
Breen—present	Hoadley—present	O’Neal—present	Thompson—present
Brixie—present	Hope—present	Outman—present	Tisdel—present
Bruck—present	Hoskins—present	Paiz—present	Tsernoglou—present
Byrnes—excused	Jenkins-Arno—present	Paquette—present	VanderWall—present
Carra—present	Johnsen—present	Pavlov—present	VanWoerkom—present
Carter, B.—present	Kelly—present	Pohutsky—present	Wegela—present
Carter, T.—present	Koleszar—present	Posthumus—present	Weiss—present
Cavitt—present	Kuhn—present	Prestin—present	Wendzel—present
Coffia—present	Kunse—present	Price—present	Whitsett—excused
Conlin—present	Liberati—present	Puri—present	Wilson—present
DeBoer—present	Lightner—present	Rheingans—present	Witwer—present
DeBoyer—present	Linting—present	Rigas—present	Wooden—present
DeSana—present	Longjohn—present	Robinson—present	Woolford—present
Dievendorf—present	MacDonell—present	Rogers—present	Wortz—present
Edwards—excused	Maddock—present	Roth—present	Wozniak—present
Fairbairn—present	Markkanen—present	Schmaltz—present	Xiong—present
Farhat—present	Martin—present	Schriver—present	Young—present
Fitzgerald—present	Martus—present

e/d/s = entered during session

Pastor Greg Briggs, Pastor of Edgewood United Church of Christ in East Lansing, offered the following invocation:

“Today’s invocation is inspired by the words of 17th century German theologian, Rupertus Meldenius:

In Essentials Unity,

In Non-Essentials Liberty,

In All Things Charity

So today, we invoke the spirit of unity in the essentials - that government is instituted for the equal benefit, security, and protection of the people, and that no person shall be denied the equal protection of the laws of this state or of this nation.

Today we also seek to invoke the spirit of liberty - that each person gathered here today is governed by their own conscience, their own beliefs, and their own moral code, which brings them to different priorities and different solutions.

Lastly, we seek to invoke the over-riding spirit of charity, of loving kindness. That in our liberty and in our unity we stay connected to the common thread of goodness that binds us together. That we are gathered here as servants of the people, not just for our own gain. Remind us of our vows and oaths, and remind us of the deeper truths embedded in them. We are called here to serve and support one another.

In Essentials Unity,

In Non-Essentials Liberty,

In All Things Charity.”

______

Rep. BeGole moved that Reps. Byrnes, Edwards and Whitsett be excused from today’s session.

The motion prevailed.

______

The Speaker assumed the Chair.

Messages from the Senate

Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 12

A concurrent resolution of tribute offered as a memorial for Bruce Patterson, former member of the Michigan Senate and Michigan House of Representatives.

Whereas, It was with great sorrow that the members of the Legislature learned about the passing of Bruce Patterson. He will be remembered as a thoughtful and dedicated public servant by his constituents in Wayne County and the people of our great state; and

Whereas, Bruce Patterson was born in 1947 in Detroit, Michigan. He earned a bachelor’s degree and juris doctor from Wayne State University, degrees he utilized to launch a career that combined private law practice, higher education advancement, and public service; and

Whereas, Throughout the course of his life, Bruce Patterson found much professional success. He worked for over 20 years as an attorney, rising through the ranks from an associate attorney to vice-president and, ultimately, president of McCabe, Middleton & Patterson, P.C. Bruce Patterson also served as the Director of Planned Giving at Eastern Michigan University from 1991 to 1994 and on the Board of Trustees for the Schoolcraft College Foundation; and

Whereas, Bruce Patterson began his career in public service on the local level, serving two terms as a Wayne County Commissioner from 1995 to 1998 before being elected to the House of Representatives in 1998. He served two terms representing the Twenty-first District, during which he served as Associate Speaker Pro Tempore during his first term and as Majority Floor Leader during his second term. Bruce Patterson also served as the chair of both the House Oversight and Operations Committee and the House Redistricting and Elections Committee, in addition to serving as vice chair of the House committees on Constitutional Law and Ethics and House Television and Oversight, and as a member of the House committees on Conservation and Outdoor Recreation, Tax Policy, Transportation, Gaming and Casino Oversight, and Veteran’s Affairs. Additionally, Bruce Patterson served on the Legislative Council. During his time in the House, Bruce Patterson advocated for better nursing home care, led the successful 2002 ballot proposal that authorized up to $1 billion in state bonds for local water pollution control projects, and promoted the implementation of a uniform voting system; and

Whereas, In 2002, Bruce Patterson was elected to serve the Seventh District in the Michigan Senate. He served in the Senate until 2010, during which time he served as chair of the Senate Committee on Energy Policy, Public Utilities, and Technology and Energy, and vice-chair of the Senate committees on Health Policy, Governments Operations and Reform, and Natural Resources and Environment Affairs. Bruce Patterson also served on the Senate Judiciary Committee, the Legislative Council, and the Commission on Uniform State Laws. During his tenure in the Senate, Bruce Patterson continued to champion environmental protections. Moreover, he led the charge on significant public acts to protect consumers from utility shut-offs, provide tax credits to encourage hybrid vehicle research and development, and protect students from criminal sexual conduct by school employees. He left a legacy of protecting consumers, ensuring government transparency, and promoting environmental stewardship. An often-colorful personality with a handlebar mustache, Bruce Patterson was known for challenging any obstacles in his way, even if those obstacles were his own caucus. Inquisitive, knowledgeable, humorous, thoughtful, tenacious, passionate, and devoted were just a few of the words used to describe Bruce Patterson; and

Whereas, Bruce Patterson’s commitment to his community extended beyond his time in office. He was actively involved with many community organizations such as the American Arbitration Association; the Huron Valley Visiting Nurses Fund Board; the Irish-American Lawyers; the Chambers of Commerce for Northville, Plymouth, Canton, Belleville, and Southern Wayne County; the Senior Citizens Kitchen Band; the Canton Economic Club; and the Wayne Out-County Mediation Service. Bruce Patterson also served on the Board of Directors of the Educational Excellence Foundation for the Plymouth-Canton Public Schools; the Canton Community Foundation; and the First of America Bank (now National City Bank). He was the President of the Canton Economic Club, the founder of the Minute Man Foundation, and an honorary chair of the Western Wayne County Salvation Army capital campaign. Additionally, Bruce Patterson was actively engaged in local, and state Republican organizations. His activism was recognized by many organizations with awards from his work on education to healthcare to mental health to public safety to job creation; and

Whereas, Beyond his public service career, Bruce Patterson was a devoted family man. He found great joy in hunting, golfing, fishing, and taking long drives. But through it all, his family remained his greatest joy, and he loved to spend time with his wife, Phyllis, his three children, and four grandchildren; and

Whereas, Upon Bruce Patterson’s passing, we offer our condolences to his loved ones. Bruce Patterson’s contributions to these chambers and the state of Michigan will be remembered; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), That we offer this expression of our highest tribute to honor the memory of Bruce Patterson, a member of the House of Representatives from 1999 to 2002 and the Senate from 2003 to 2010; and be it further

Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the Patterson family as evidence of our lasting esteem for his memory.

The Senate has adopted the concurrent resolution.

The question being on the adoption of the concurrent resolution,

The concurrent resolution was adopted by unanimous standing vote.

By unanimous consent the House returned to the order of

Announcement by the Clerk of Printing and Enrollment

The Clerk announced that the following bills had been reproduced and made available electronically on Tuesday, March 10:

House Bill Nos. 5688 5689 5690 5691 5692 5693 5694 5695 5696 5697 5698 5699 5700 5701 5702 5703 5704 5705 5706 5707 5708

The Clerk announced that the following bills had been reproduced and made available electronically on Wednesday, March 11:

Senate Bill Nos. 821 822 823 824 825 826 827 828 829 830 831 832 833

The Clerk announced that the following Senate bills had been received on Wednesday, March 11:

Senate Bill Nos. 449 450 451 525 581 701 702 716

Reports of Standing Committees

The Committee on Natural Resources and Tourism, by Rep. Martin, Chair, reported

House Bill No. 5680, entitled

A bill to amend 1994 PA 451, entitled “Natural resources and environmental protection act,” by amending sections 47328 and 47330 (MCL 324.47328 and 324.47330), as added by 1995 PA 57.

With the recommendation that the substitute (H-1) be adopted and that the bill then pass.

The bill and substitute were referred to the order of Second Reading of Bills.

Favorable Roll Call

To Report Out:

Yeas: Reps. Martin, St. Germaine, VanderWall, Outman, Hoadley, Johnsen, Prestin, Bohnak, Fairbairn, Wortz, McFall, Scott, Weiss, Arbit, Foreman, Myers-Phillips and Wooden

Nays: None

COMMITTEE ATTENDANCE REPORT

The following report, submitted by Rep. Martin, Chair, of the Committee on Natural Resources and Tourism, was received and read:

Meeting held on: Wednesday, March 11, 2026

Present: Reps. Martin, St. Germaine, VanderWall, Outman, Hoadley, Johnsen, Prestin, Bohnak, Fairbairn, Wortz, McFall, Scott, Weiss, Arbit, Foreman, Myers-Phillips and Wooden

The Committee on Health Policy, by Rep. VanderWall, Chair, reported

Senate Bill No. 398, entitled

A bill to amend 1978 PA 368, entitled “Public health code,” by amending sections 6230 and 6234 (MCL 333.6230 and 333.6234), as added by 2012 PA 501.

With the recommendation that the bill be referred to the Committee on Rules.

Favorable Roll Call

To Report Out:

Yeas: Reps. VanderWall, Thompson, Tisdel, Bierlein, DeBoer, Prestin, Schmaltz, St. Germaine, Bohnak, Frisbie, Brenda Carter, Witwer, Neeley, Hoskins and Foreman

Nays: None

The recommendation was concurred in and the bill was referred to the Committee on Rules.

COMMITTEE ATTENDANCE REPORT

The following report, submitted by Rep. VanderWall, Chair, of the Committee on Health Policy, was received and read:

Meeting held on: Wednesday, March 11, 2026

Present: Reps. VanderWall, Thompson, Tisdel, Bierlein, DeBoer, Prestin, Schmaltz, St. Germaine, Bohnak, Frisbie, Brenda Carter, Witwer, Neeley, Hoskins and Foreman

Absent: Reps. Meerman and Whitsett

Excused: Reps. Meerman and Whitsett

The Committee on Appropriations, by Rep. Bollin, Chair, reported

House Bill No. 4702, entitled

A bill to authorize the state administrative board to convey or transfer state-owned property in Sanilac County; to prescribe conditions for the conveyance or transfer; to provide for the powers and duties of state departments, agencies, and officers regarding the property; and to provide for disposition of revenue derived from the conveyance or transfer.

Without amendment and with the recommendation that the bill then pass.

The bill was referred to the order of Second Reading of Bills.

Favorable Roll Call

To Report Out:

Yeas: Reps. Bollin, Maddock, Phil Green, Jenkins-Arno, Kelly, Markkanen, Mueller, Slagh, VanWoerkom, Beson, Borton, Roth, Cavitt, DeSana, Kuhn, Robinson, O’Neal, Rogers, Steckloff, Glanville, Farhat, Martus, McKinney, Morgan, Price, Snyder and Longjohn

Nays: None

The Committee on Appropriations, by Rep. Bollin, Chair, reported

House Bill No. 4724, entitled

A bill to authorize the state administrative board to convey state-owned real property in Kent County; to prescribe conditions for the conveyance; to provide for powers and duties of state departments regarding the property; and to provide for disposition of the revenue from the conveyance.

Without amendment and with the recommendation that the bill then pass.

The bill was referred to the order of Second Reading of Bills.

Favorable Roll Call

To Report Out:

Nays: None

COMMITTEE ATTENDANCE REPORT

The following report, submitted by Rep. Bollin, Chair, of the Committee on Appropriations, was received and read:

Meeting held on: Wednesday, March 11, 2026

Present: Reps. Bollin, Maddock, Phil Green, Jenkins-Arno, Kelly, Markkanen, Mueller, Slagh, VanWoerkom, Beson, Borton, Roth, Cavitt, DeSana, Kuhn, Steele, Robinson, O’Neal, Rogers, Steckloff, Glanville, Farhat, Martus, McKinney, Morgan, Price, Snyder and Longjohn

Absent: Rep. Edwards

Excused: Rep. Edwards

The Committee on Judiciary, by Rep. Lightner, Chair, reported

House Bill No. 5465, entitled

A bill to amend 1931 PA 328, entitled “The Michigan penal code,” by amending section 552c (MCL 750.552c), as added by 2005 PA 305.

With the recommendation that the substitute (H-1) be adopted and that the bill then pass.

The bill and substitute were referred to the order of Second Reading of Bills.

Favorable Roll Call

To Report Out:

Yeas: Reps. Lightner, BeGole, Wozniak, Harris, DeBoyer, Johnsen, Schuette, Tyrone Carter, Hope, Breen and Scott

Nays: None

COMMITTEE ATTENDANCE REPORT

The following report, submitted by Rep. Lightner, Chair, of the Committee on Judiciary, was received and read:

Meeting held on: Wednesday, March 11, 2026

Present: Reps. Lightner, BeGole, Wozniak, Harris, DeBoyer, Johnsen, Schuette, Tyrone Carter, Hope, Breen and Scott

COMMITTEE ATTENDANCE REPORT

The following report, submitted by Rep. DeBoer, Chair, of the Committee on Education and Workforce, was received and read:

Meeting held on: Wednesday, March 11, 2026

Present: Reps. DeBoer, Linting, Paquette, Fox, Kunse, St. Germaine, Pavlov, Wilson, Koleszar and Weiss

Absent: Rep. Byrnes

Excused: Rep. Byrnes

Announcements by the Clerk

Pursuant to Rule 40(4), Rep. Prestin requested his name be removed as co-sponsor of House Bill No. 5093 on March 11, 2026.

______

The Speaker called the Speaker Pro Tempore to the Chair.

By unanimous consent the House returned to the order of

Second Reading of Bills

House Bill No. 4711, entitled

A bill to amend 1985 PA 148, entitled “Self-service storage facility act,” by amending section 3 (MCL 570.523), as amended by 2014 PA 61.

The bill was read a second time.

Rep. Hoadley moved to substitute (H-2) the bill.

The motion prevailed and the substitute (H-2) was adopted, a majority of the members serving voting therefor.

Rep. Hoadley moved that the bill be placed on the order of Third Reading of Bills.

The motion prevailed.

House Bill No. 4510, entitled

A bill to amend 1965 PA 314, entitled “Public employee retirement system investment act” (MCL 38.1132 to 38.1141) by adding section 19c.

Was read a second time, and the question being on the adoption of the proposed substitute (H-2) previously recommended by the Committee on Economic Competitiveness,

The substitute (H-2) was adopted, a majority of the members serving voting therefor.

Rep. Paquette moved to amend the bill as follows:

1. Amend page 1, line 5, after “least” by striking out “$250,000,000,000.00” and inserting “$100,000,000,000.00”.

2. Amend page 1, line 9, after “than” by striking out “$250,000,000,000.00” and inserting “$100,000,000,000.00”.

The motion prevailed and the amendments were adopted, a majority of the members serving voting therefor.

Rep. Schuette moved that the bill be placed on the order of Third Reading of Bills.

The motion prevailed.

House Bill No. 4511, entitled

A bill to prohibit the banning, provision of permitting or licensure requirements, or provision of other impairments of or for the holding of digital assets; to prohibit the advocacy or support through certain actions by certain state governmental officers and entities of a central bank digital currency by the United States government; to prohibit the imposition of prohibitions on the operation of certain nodes related to blockchain protocols, certain transfers of digital assets on blockchain protocols, or the participation in staking on certain blockchain protocols; to prohibit certain civil liability; and to provide for the powers and duties of certain state and local governmental officers and entities.

The bill was read a second time.

Rep. Posthumus moved to substitute (H-1) the bill.

The motion prevailed and the substitute (H-1) was adopted, a majority of the members serving voting therefor.

Rep. Posthumus moved that the bill be placed on the order of Third Reading of Bills.

The motion prevailed.

House Bill No. 4908, entitled

A bill to amend 1980 PA 299, entitled “Occupational code” by amending section 1203a (MCL 339.1203a), as amended by 2018 PA 387.

Was read a second time, and the question being on the adoption of the proposed substitute (H-1) previously recommended by the Committee on Rules,

The substitute (H-1) was adopted, a majority of the members serving voting therefor.

Rep. Rigas moved that the bill be placed on the order of Third Reading of Bills.

The motion prevailed.

House Bill No. 5249, entitled

A bill to amend 1978 PA 368, entitled “Public health code” by amending section 20920 (MCL 333.20920), as amended by 2014 PA 413.

Was read a second time, and the question being on the adoption of the proposed substitute (H-1) previously recommended by the Committee on Rules,

The substitute (H-1) was adopted, a majority of the members serving voting therefor.

Rep. Prestin moved that the bill be placed on the order of Third Reading of Bills.

The motion prevailed.

House Bill No. 5343, entitled

A bill to amend 1998 PA 58, entitled “Michigan liquor control code of 1998” by amending section 109 (MCL 436.1109), as amended by 2021 PA 19.

Was read a second time, and the question being on the adoption of the proposed substitute (H-1) previously recommended by the Committee on Rules,

The substitute (H-1) was adopted, a majority of the members serving voting therefor.

Rep. Aragona moved that the bill be placed on the order of Third Reading of Bills.

The motion prevailed.

By unanimous consent the House returned to the order of

Motions and Resolutions

Reps. Miller, Alexander, Bollin, Breen, Dievendorf, Fox, Glanville, MacDonell, McKinney, Mentzer, Myers-Phillips, Paiz, Rheingans, Rigas, Rogers, Skaggs, Wegela, Weiss, Witwer and Xiong offered the following resolution:

House Resolution No. 260.

A resolution to declare March 8-14, 2026, as Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Week in the state of Michigan.

Whereas, Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurological disease of the central nervous system, affecting nearly one million people in the United States alone; and

Whereas, MS generally strikes people in the prime of life, between ages 20 through 50, and the cause and course of the often debilitating symptoms remain unknown and no cure currently exists; and

Whereas, The National Multiple Sclerosis Society is committed to a world free of MS, heightening public knowledge about and insight into the disease; and

Whereas, The mission of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society is to cure MS while empowering people affected by MS to live their best lives, one that all Americans and Michiganders should support; and

Whereas, Since 1946, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society has been a driving force of MS research, relentlessly pursuing prevention, treatments, and a cure, and has invested more than $1 billion in groundbreaking research; and

Whereas, Funds raised through the National Multiple Sclerosis Society fuels research on pathways to MS cures and invests in the MS research workforce at the best medical centers, universities, and other institutions throughout the U.S. and abroad, leading to many breakthroughs in the treatment of MS; and

Whereas, Together we have transformed what it means to live with MS and provided global leadership to help achieve our vision of a world free of MS; and

Whereas, Eighteen in-person MS support groups led by Michigan MS leaders and supported by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society create a collaborative community and support network for all Michiganders impacted by MS; and

Whereas, The state of Michigan recognizes the importance of finding the cause and cure of MS and expresses its appreciation for the dedication that the Michigan Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society has shown toward creating a world free of MS; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the House of Representatives, That the members of this legislative body declare March 8-14, 2026, as Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Week in the state of Michigan; and be it further

Resolved, That we commend this observance for all Michiganders and encourage citizens to learn more about MS and what they can do to support individuals with MS and their families.

The question being on the adoption of the resolution,

The resolution was adopted.

Introduction of Bills

Reps. Roth, VanderWall, Borton and Aragona introduced

House Bill No. 5709, entitled

A bill to amend 1978 PA 368, entitled “Public health code,” (MCL 333.1101 to 333.25211) by adding section 22224d.

The bill was read a first time by its title and referred to the Committee on Health Policy.

Reps. Wendzel, Robinson, BeGole, Rigas, Bierlein, Aragona, Borton, Hoadley, Paquette, Roth, Wortz, Frisbie, Jaime Greene, Kuhn, Pavlov, Wozniak, Martin, Kelly, Neyer, Alexander, Markkanen, Thompson, Slagh, Prestin, Johnsen, Schuette, Fairbairn, Kunse, Beson, Harris, DeBoyer, VanWoerkom, Bohnak, St. Germaine, Schmaltz, Phil Green, Smit, Mueller, Linting and Outman introduced

House Bill No. 5710, entitled

A bill to amend 1939 PA 3, entitled “An act to provide for the regulation and control of public and certain private utilities and other services affected with a public interest within this state; to provide for alternative energy suppliers and certain providers of electric vehicle charging services; to provide for licensing; to include municipally owned utilities and other providers of energy under certain provisions of this act; to create a public service commission and to prescribe and define its powers and duties; to abolish the Michigan public utilities commission and to confer the powers and duties vested by law on the public service commission; to provide for the powers and duties of certain state governmental officers and entities; to provide for the continuance, transfer, and completion of certain matters and proceedings; to abolish automatic adjustment clauses; to prohibit certain rate increases without notice and hearing; to qualify residential energy conservation programs permitted under state law for certain federal exemption; to create a fund; to encourage the utilization of resource recovery facilities; to prohibit certain acts and practices of providers of energy; to allow for the securitization of stranded costs; to reduce rates; to provide for appeals; to provide appropriations; to declare the effect and purpose of this act; to prescribe remedies and penalties; and to repeal acts and parts of acts,” by amending sections 6a, 6l, 6m, and 6t (MCL 460.6a, 460.6l, 460.6m, and 460.6t), sections 6a, 6m, and 6t as amended by 2023 PA 231 and section 6l as amended by 2016 PA 341; and to repeal acts and parts of acts.

The bill was read a first time by its title and referred to the Committee on Energy.

Reps. Outman, Robinson, Rigas, BeGole, Bierlein, Borton, Hoadley, Paquette, Roth, Wortz, Frisbie, Jaime Greene, Kuhn, Pavlov, Wozniak, Kelly, Martin, Neyer, Alexander, Markkanen, Thompson, Smit, Slagh, Aragona, Prestin, Johnsen, Schuette, Fairbairn, Kunse, Beson, Harris, DeBoyer, VanWoerkom, Bohnak, St. Germaine, Schmaltz, Mueller, Phil Green, Linting and Wendzel introduced

House Bill No. 5711, entitled

A bill to amend 2008 PA 295, entitled “Clean and renewable energy and energy waste reduction act,” by amending the title and sections 1, 3, 7, 9, 11, 75, 77, 83, 87, 101, 173, and 191 (MCL 460.1001, 460.1003, 460.1007, 460.1009, 460.1011, 460.1075, 460.1077, 460.1083, 460.1087, 460.1101, 460.1173, and 460.1191), the title and sections 1, 3, 7, 9, 11, 173, and 191 as amended and section 101 as added by 2023 PA 235, sections 75 and 77 as amended by 2023 PA 229, and sections 83 and 87 as amended by 2016 PA 342; and to repeal acts and parts of acts.

The bill was read a first time by its title and referred to the Committee on Energy.

By unanimous consent the House returned to the order of

Messages from the Senate

Senate Bill No. 449, entitled

A bill to require hospitals to develop and implement financial assistance programs for certain patients; to provide for the powers and duties of certain state and local governmental officers and entities; to allow for the promulgation of rules; and to prescribe civil sanctions and remedies.