Michigan Senate Democrats

Date: 2009-06-18

MESSAGES FROM THE HOUSE

SB 624 (Allen)

Duncan Aviation: Senate Bill 624 would amend the Use Tax Act to revise tax exemptions for the sale of aircraft that are temporarily in this State, by deleting language that limits the exemptions to used aircraft.

IE was ordered

SB 151 (Patterson)

SB 151 would impose licensure and state regulation on physical therapist assistants, including new training and experience standards; to increase the annual licensing fees on physical therapists (and assistants) from $50 to $90; and to make other revisions in the regulatory regime governing this profession.

IE was ordered

THIRD READING

SB 436 (Gilbert)

The bill would add Section 1313 to Part 13 (Permits) of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act to do the following:

-- Allow a person to file a permit application or a proposed remedial action plan with a licensed professional engineer for review.

-- Require the licensed professional engineer to report his or her findings and recommendations to the Department of Environmental Quality.

-- Require the DEQ to process the application or proposed plan within 21 days after receiving the engineer's report or after a hearing or consultation; and provide that any processing fee would be 50% of the amount otherwise charged.

-- Require the DEQ to maintain a list of licensed professional engineers eligible to review permit applications or proposed remedial action plans.

-- Require the DEQ to promulgate rules implementing Section 1313.

-- Require the DEQ Director to submit to the Legislature an annual report regarding application and plan reviews by licensed professional engineers.

The bill also would amend Part 13 to require a department, agency, or official to pay 50%, rather than 15%, of certain amounts if the department, agency, or official failed to approve or deny a permit application by the processing deadline.

Brater-1 reconsidered [RC 268: 20 yes, 16 no, 1 excused]
Brater-1 not adopted [RC 269: 18 yes, 17 no, 1 excused]
Brater-2 not adopted [RC 270: 16 yes, 20 no, 1 excused]
SB 436 was passed [RC 271: 19 yes, 17 no, 1 excused]

SB 483 (Allen)

The bill would amend Part 435 (Hunting and Fishing Licensing) of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act to delete a requirement that a person not possess dogs used during the hunt, when accompanying a licensed hunter on a bear or bobcat hunt without a hunting license. Part 435 prohibits a person from hunting small game or bear, or trapping or hunting fur-bearing animals, unless he or she possesses the appropriate license. If authorized, a resident possessing a current small game license may take specified fur-bearing animals by means other than trapping during the open season for hunting them. A person who goes on a bobcat or bear hunt with a licensed hunter does not have to possess a license if he or she does not carry a firearm, bow, or crossbow and does not own or possess dogs used to chase or locate a bear or bobcat during the hunt. The bill would delete the reference to possession of dogs.

SB 483 was passed [RC 265: 35 yes, 0 no, 1 excused, 1 not voting]

SB 204 (Olshove)

The bill would amend the Self-Service Storage Facility Act to specify that, if an owner received a notice that a tenant who was a service member was transferred or deployed overseas on active duty for at least 180 days, the owner could not enforce an owner's lien until 90 days after the end of the tenant's overseas service. The bill also would require an owner to deliver notice of intent to enforce a lien by first-class mail (rather than certified mail) or by e-mail; and would allow the sale of property to be advertised electronically.

SB 204 was passed [RC 266: 36 yes, 0 no, 1 excused]

SB 219 (Pappageorge)

The bill would amend the Michigan Business Tax Act to exclude from the business income tax base royalty and interest payments to a person organized under the laws of a foreign nation having a comprehensive tax treaty with the United States.

SB 219 was passed [RC 267: 36 yes, 0 no, 1 excused]

SB 428 (Allen)

The bill would amend the Local Development Financing Act to:
-- Allow the designation of all or part of an authority district as a certified alternative energy park.
-- Allow a municipality that created a local development financing authority to apply to the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) for this designation.
-- Specify conditions that would have to be satisfied for the designation.
-- Specify requirements for an agreement between an authority, its municipality, and the MEDC establishing the conditions governing a certified alternative energy park.
-- Prohibit the MEDC from designating more than 10 certified alternative energy parks, or entering into an agreement for an alternative energy park after December 31, 2011.
-- Allow the sale or rental of property at below-market rates, if it would assist in increasing employment or private investment in a certified alternative energy park.
-- Allow a municipality in which a certified alternative energy park was located to make a tax pledge to support an authority's tax increment financing bonds.
-- Include costs related to certified alternative energy parks in the Act's definition of "public facility".
The bill is tie-barred to Senate Bills 358 and 493 and House Bill 4674. Senate Bill 358 would amend the Local Development Financing Act to allow the MEDC to designate two additional certified technology parks (SmartZones) between June 1, 2009, and December 31, 2009. Senate Bill 493 and House Bill 4674 would amend the Michigan Business Tax Act to revise provisions granting tax credits to anchor companies.

SB 428 was passed [RC 280: 35 yes, 0 no, 2 excused]

SB 493 (Allen)

Senate Bill 493 (S-2) would do the following:
-- Allow an anchor company to claim an MBT credit for a percentage of a qualified supplier's or qualified customer's property tax or industrial facility tax if the supplier's or customer's taxable property were located in an existing industrial site in the same county as the anchor company or an adjacent county.
-- Allow an MBT credit for a qualified supplier's or qualified customer's property tax or industrial facility tax to be taken after all other allowable nonrefundable MBT credits.
-- Allow the Michigan Economic Growth Authority (MEGA) to exclude an anchor company's qualified sales to a qualified customer from the calculation of the sales factor under the Act.
-- Revise the definition of "qualified supplier or customer" and define "qualified sales to a qualified customer"

Jansen-1 adopted
SB 493 was passed [RC 281: 36 yes, 0 no, 1 excused]

SB 334 (Jelinek)

Supplemental appropriations for fiscal year 2008-2009