Would the MEs of 20 years ago agree that Reagan's quote applied to their profession? 

Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.

Is it better to tie the hands of local transporters, or the troubled children they're trying to help?

We self-govern in three ways: with self-control in our personal lives, by intelligently electing representative officials from among ourselves, and by upholding constitutional principles in the American way of life.

Without basic self-control, there is no freedom.

Tuesday, March 17, 2026     12:00 PM

AGENDA

HB 4954 (Rep. Woolford)
Higher education: financial aid; eligible recipients of the police officer's and fire fighter's survivor tuition grant; expand to include medical examiners and medical examiner investigators.

HB 5514 (Rep. Cavitt)
Children: other; prohibition of use of certain restraints while transporting youths to certain qualified residential treatment programs; provide for.

HB 5715 (Rep. Schmaltz)
Military affairs: other; direct deposit for compensation of Michigan national guard members; provide for.

OR ANY BUSINESS PROPERLY BEFORE THIS COMMITTEE

Wouldn't that be something!

Toggle the "next bill" button to see the other bills in the series.

Wednesday, March 11, 2026     9:00 AM

AGENDA

HB 4902 (Rep. VanderWall)
Health occupations: counselors; limited license option for certain counselors; eliminate.

HB 4903 (Rep. Meerman)
Health occupations: counselors; relicensure requirements; modify.

HB 4904 (Rep. DeBoer)
Health occupations: counselors; professional disclosure statement requirements; eliminate.

HB 5074 (Rep. Thompson)
Health occupations: mental health care professionals; number of renewals of temporary or limited licenses; modify.

SB 398 (Sen. Bellino)
Health: substance use disorder treatment; substance use disorder services programs requirements; modify, and prohibit the promulgation of certain rules.

OR ANY BUSINESS PROPERLY BEFORE THIS COMMITTEE

No war like a budget war. Get out the popcorn!

House Appropriations Subcommittee on Public Health, Rep. Phil Green, Chair
Tuesday, March 3, 2026     9:00 AM

AGENDA

HFA Overview of current FY2025-26 budget and Governor's FY2026-27 Executive Recommendation

OR ANY BUSINESS PROPERLY BEFORE THIS COMMITTEE

It's an intriguing question, worthy of debate. (Although I'm not certain it ever arises in real life.)

Non-health bills italicized.

Thursday, February 26, 2026     9:00 AM

AGENDA

HB 5151 (Rep. Meerman)
Legislature: other; penalties for certain acts related to an article V convention for proposing amendment; provide for.

HCR 2 (Rep. Meerman)
A concurrent resolution prescribing the Rules of the Legislature for Selecting Commissioners to an Article V Convention.

HB 5340 (Rep. Paquette)
State agencies (existing): generally; acceptance of cash payments; require.

OR ANY BUSINESS PROPERLY BEFORE THIS COMMITTEE

The only good news in this whole line-up is in the final bill, a physician CE cut from 150 down to 75 hr/3 year renewal. However, there's a down side: that excellent provision is paired with a $250-500 fine for all professions who fail to produce CEs.

Licensing is unproven to ensure quality; conditioning licenses on continuing education, even less so.

Sometimes I think the health professions can't win for losing in Michigan.

Wednesday, February 4, 2026     9:00 AM

AGENDA

HB 4901 (Rep. Thompson)
Health: licensing; licensing of nurses and speech-language pathologists; modify.

HB 5102 (Rep. Kuhn)
Health occupations: dentists; dentistry task force; eliminate.

HB 5150 (Rep. Thompson)
Health occupations: respiratory therapists; licensure for respiratory therapists; modify.

HB 5249 (Rep. Prestin)
Health: emergency services; ambulance operation adaptive care license; create.

HB 5313 (Rep. Bierlein)
Health: licensing; setting aside certain disciplinary records; provide for, and modify certain continuing education requirements and sanctions.

OR ANY BUSINESS PROPERLY BEFORE THIS COMMITTEE

The single exception is SB 501, which has passed the Senate. Background here.

Information on bills in a series can be toggled from the first link.

Wednesday, January 21, 2026     9:00 AM

AGENDA

HB 4412 (Rep. Steele)
Mental health: hospitalization; person requiring treatment; revise, and modify certain procedures for treatment.

HB 4413 (Rep. Tisdel)
Mental health: other; hospital evaluations for assisted outpatient treatment; expand.

HB 4414 (Rep. Kuhn)
Criminal procedure: mental capacity; outpatient treatment for misdemeanor offenders with mental health issues; provide for.

HB 4899 (Rep. Thompson)
Health occupations: nurses; evaluation of foreign trained registered nurses; modify.

HB 4921 (Rep. Jenkins-Arno)
Health occupations: dentists; licensure of graduates from a dental education program located outside the United States; provide for.

HB 4934 (Rep. Frisbie)
Health occupations: psychologists; relicensure to serve as renewal; allow.

HB 5150 (Rep. Thompson)
Health occupations: respiratory therapists; licensure for respiratory therapists; modify.

HB 5455 (Rep. Linting)
Health occupations: physicians; interstate medical licensure compact; update.

SB 501 (Sen. Santana)
Health occupations: physical therapists; licensing process; modify to incorporate physical therapy licensing compact.

OR ANY BUSINESS PROPERLY BEFORE THIS COMMITTEE

Or if you like, you can say this post is in memory of my Dad. Thanks to his dream of a small family farm, I grew up drinking raw milk and hand-milking the cow. It was a healthy way of life, and a good start for a healthcare career.

Thursday, January 15, 2026     9:00 AM

AGENDA

HB 5217 (Rep. Maddock)
Food: milk; sale of raw milk products; allow.

HB 5218 (Rep. Maddock)
Food: milk; sale of raw milk and raw milk products under the manufacturing milk law of 2001; allow.

HB 5219 (Rep. Maddock)
Food: milk; sale of raw milk and raw milk products under the food law; allow.

OR ANY BUSINESS PROPERLY BEFORE THIS COMMITTEE

The three bills are tie-barred: all must pass for the law to take effect.

Leadership

Rep. Phil Green (Republican) District-67
Chair
Rep. Tom Kuhn (Republican) District-57
Majority Vice Chair
Rep. Natalie Price (Democrat) District-6
Minority Vice Chair

Members

Rep. Matt Maddock (Republican) District-51
Rep. Bradley Slagh (Republican) District-85
Rep. Donni Steele (Republican) District-54
Rep. Amos O'Neal (Democrat) District-94

Additional committee agendas, minutes, testimony, contact and subscription information is located on its home page.

Tuesday, May 20, 2025     9:00 AM

AGENDA

Department and stakeholder presentations on Maternal and Infant Health Services.

OR ANY BUSINESS PROPERLY BEFORE THIS COMMITTEE

Tuesday, June 3, 2025     9:00 AM

AGENDA

Presentations on Tobacco Settlement funds and Proposed Vape Tax

OR ANY BUSINESS PROPERLY BEFORE THIS COMMITTEE

Tuesday, December 16, 2025      2:00 PM

AGENDA

HB 4696 (Rep. Meerman)
Children: guardians; definition of relative under the guardianship assistance act; modify.

HB 4697 (Rep. Young)
Children: guardians; eligibility for guardianship assistance payments; modify.

OR ANY BUSINESS PROPERLY BEFORE THIS COMMITTEE

https://housedems.com/empowering-parents-protecting-communities/

https://housedems.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/one_pager.pdf

Michigan House Democrats Unveil Empowering Parents, Protecting Communities Package

LANSING, Mich, Dec. 4, 2025—With the number of vaccination waiver requests hitting a 12-year high this past fall for newly enrolled Michigan students, and the news U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy’s vaccine advisory panel has revised the childhood immunization schedule, Michigan House Democrats announced legislation today aimed at providing parents and caregivers more information and choice when it comes to selecting schools and childcare centers. The Empowering Parents, Protecting Communities package will organize and make easily accessible anonymous immunization rate data, allowing families to make the most informed choice possible when choosing where to send their kids.

“Parents who have an infant at home, or care for their ailing mother or father on the weekends, or have another child with a heart condition, have the right to know if they’re sending their student to a school that can keep them and their family safe,” said state Rep. Phil Skaggs (D-East Grand Rapids). “Our legislation informs and empowers parents to make those choices.”

The 11-bill package codifies access to the overall vaccination rate for a local school or childcare center while still preserving parental choice not to immunize children and maintaining the individual privacy of those that do. For families with infants, seniors, or immunocompromised children in the home, understanding the strength of herd immunity against severe but preventable illnesses within a specific location can help them better select where is safest for their child to attend.

“Parents across Michigan are anxious and confused by RFK Jr.’s attacks on science and his spread of vaccine misinformation,” said Rep. Matt Longjohn (D-Portage). “Regardless of whether parents choose to vaccinate, they deserve trusted, evidence-based information. This package ensures families, providers, and insurers have clear answers to make informed decisions.”

Empowering Parents, Protecting Communities would standardize the current process for immunization exemption while also ensuring privacy and anonymity when providing data on rates to the public, without mandating vaccinations. The package would also ensure that despite shifting federal guidelines, insurers would still be required to provide coverage for the full, previously-designated vaccination schedule, and would require state-level recommendations on immunization be developed through physical-led organizations based on evidenced-backed data.

“Given the disparities in health outcomes for communities of color, having access to accurate information about immunization rates is critical for families with young children,” said state Rep. Morgan Foreman (D-Pittsfield Twp.). “Parents have the right to know if they’re sending their toddler or student someplace where the likelihood of them bringing home a preventable illness to a vulnerable member of the family is significantly higher. At the end of the day, we all want peace of mind, and the assurance that our families are safe and healthy. Our package ensures that families who choose not to immunize their children, and families who cannot afford the risk of those preventable illnesses, can both have it.”