Non-health freedom bills are italicized.

Thursday, March 19, 2026     9:00 a.m.

AGENDA

HB 4394
Rep. Rigas
Occupations: licensing fees; permit fee for barbers and cosmetologists to operate outside of a licensed facility for veterans; establish.

HB 4395
Rep. Witwer
Occupations: barbers; license to perform services at veteran service organizations; provide for.

SB 704
Sen. Singh
Marihuana: other; cannabis regulatory agency; allow to operate a marihuana reference laboratory and to collect, transport, possess, test, and perform research with marihuana.

HB 4004
Rep. Outman
Gaming: lottery; multistate lottery games; allow winner to remain anonymous.

HB 4678
Rep. Aragona
Agriculture: weights and measures; certain definitions; provide for.

HB 4679
Rep. Liberati Jr.
Agriculture: weights and measures; certain definitions; provide for.

And any other business properly before the committee.

Why is an overtime ban for hospital nurses a band aid? 

Three reasons: 

• it fails to address underlying causes for shortages;
• it's a long-lobbied wish of unions, familiar to the public;
• a full ban is impossible to enforce (hence the exceptions); and,
• given the exceptions, past bills have amounted to a well-publicized change without a difference.

Thursday, February 5, 2026     8:30 a.m.

AGENDA

SB 296
Sen. Chang
Health facilities: hospitals; mandatory overtime for nurses; prohibit except under certain circumstances.

SB 297
Sen. McBroom
Health facilities: hospitals; mandatory overtime for nurses; prohibit except under certain circumstances.

And any other business properly before the committee.

Time is money.

Maybe, instead of adding to hospital regulatory costs, the senators should ask their local hospitals for a list of their most costly regulations. They could then pick one (or many) to repeal, and either watch the hospitals increase hiring, or require them to do so.

Just a thought.

Currently, Michigan bill analysts are required to estimate each bill's cost to state and local governments.

If I could have one wish for these procedures, it would be for analysts to include the cost to healthcare facilities, professionals, or whoever will bear the primary cost of new regulation.

Patients always bear the final cost burden, and as taxpayers we all have the right to know the full impact of new law.

Italics indicate non-health policy items.

Wednesday, October 22, 2025      2:00 p.m.

AGENDA

SB 595  Sen. Lindsey  Land use: other; Michigan-Indiana boundary; provide for survey of parts and for grants to county remonumentation programs.

SB 443 Sen. McCann  Health facilities: other; surgical smoke plume evacuation plan; require.

SB 604  Sen. Polehanki  Liquor: authorized distribution agents; authorized distribution agent fees; increase.

And any other business properly before the committee.

The bill has passed the Senate and awaits action in the House. You can track progress at the bill link above.

Tuesday, October 28, 2025      1:30 p.m.

AGENDA

SB 443   Sen. McCann    Health facilities: other; surgical smoke plume evacuation plan; require.

SB 512    Sen. Singh    Liquor: distribution; general amendments; provide for.

SB 513    Sen. Hauck   Liquor: other; definition of brand; modify.

HB 4042   Rep. Carter   Food: service establishments; exemption for certain outdoor event spaces; provide for.

HB 4276   Rep. Snyder   Liquor: retail sales; restrictions on licensees owning and operating a motor fuel pump; modify.

And any other business properly before the committee.

The Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN), a professional lobbying organization promoting this legislation, tracks passage in the states.

Its release is clipped for length.

https://www.aorn.org/outpatient-surgery/article/score!-surgical-smoke-evacuation-mandates-now-the-law-in-20-u.s.-states

Score! Surgical Smoke Evacuation Mandates Now the Law in 20 U.S. States

Joe Paone   |   9/24/2025

The movement to remove toxic surgical smoke from the nation’s ORs has reached another milestone, as 20 states have now passed laws that mandate usage of smoke evacuation systems for every plume-generating procedure that takes place in their surgical facilities.

The latest states to join the surgical smoke evacuation movement came on board this summer: North Carolina and Delaware.

As of mid-September, the list of states that have mandated surgical smoke evacuation by law now consists of these 20: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, Virginia, Washington and West Virginia.

While this incredible amount of progress has been made across the country, AORN, state-level associations, perioperative professionals and other stakeholders continue the hard work, year upon year, of bringing the remaining 30 U.S. states on board with their own smoke evacuation laws.

This year is no exception. Bills have been under consideration by legislators, but not yet passed into law, in nine additional states in 2025: Arkansas, Florida, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Michigan, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Texas.

As of mid-September, Ms. Pennock says the bills in Massachusetts, Michigan, Pennsylvania and South Carolina are moving forward and could possibly carry over into 2026.

<clip>

As a former surgery nurse, I'm familiar with the sight, sound and smell of cautery and laser. However, I object to the impression lobby organizations may convey to the uninitiated of smoke-filled rooms. Healthcare leaves that sort of thing to politics.

Health Facilities Management comes a little closer to quantifying the problem, as well as identifying current regulation and the proposed solution in this April, 2024 article.

https://www.hfmmagazine.com/articles/4967-surgical-smoke-codes-and-safety-issues

Surgical smoke codes and safety issues

... According to a report from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), OR staff may inhale substances present in surgical smoke at concentrations up to 50 times the permissible exposure limits set by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. 

The health risks associated with exposure to surgical smoke are numerous and varied. Studies have linked prolonged exposure to an increased risk of respiratory and ocular issues among OR staff. The inhalation of toxic substances in surgical smoke has been associated with both short- and long-term health consequences.

Surgical smoke can contain:

• Particles (e.g., fine particulate matter).
• Chemicals, including aromatic hydrocarbons (e.g., benzene, toluene and xylenes); volatile organic compounds (e.g., acetone and aldehydes ); polycylic aromatic hydrocarbons (e.g., naphthalene, phenanthrene, benzopyrene and anthracene); hydrogen cyanide; inorganic gases (e.g., carbon monoxide); and nitrates (e.g., acetonitrile and acrylonitrile).
• Biohazard materials, including viruses (e.g., HPV, HIV and hepatitis B), bacteria, blood and potentially viable cancer cells.

Chronic exposure to surgical smoke has been linked to respiratory symptoms, including coughing, wheezing and nasal congestion. 

In addition to causing respiratory illness, asthma and allergy-like symptoms, there are documented cases of HPV transmission from patients to providers via surgical smoke inhalation.....

While OSHA acknowledges the hazards related to surgical smoke, no OSHA standard explicitly requires surgical smoke evacuation at the source, and the issue is left to interpretation under OSHA’s General Duty Clause...

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The Joint Commission recognizes the hazards surgical smoke poses to OR occupants but stops short of requiring evacuation at the source. In December 2020, The Joint Commission issued a Quick Safety bulletin ...

The advisory recommends safety actions related to surgical smoke, including implementing standard procedures for the removal of surgical smoke using smoke evacuators and high-filtration masks.

<clip>

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has required capture of surgical smoke plume since the 2012 edition of NFPA 99, Health Care Facilities Code. In the 2024 edition, however, Section 9.3.8, ... now requires health care facilities to capture surgical smoke as close as possible to the point of generation in ORs nationwide.

To summarize: 1 of 3 current regulators maintains the standard preferred by lobbyists. 

No one is identifying the manufacturer(s) of the filtration/evacuator device(s) to be required, much less their cost in dollars or labor.

Of concern in quantifying actual harm: the article slides from "linked" to "associated with" to "caused" in haphazard fashion, with no substantiation.

Aside from the unattributed reference to HPV above, the only documented effects are temporary.

AORN members have been shown to suffer headaches (nurses, 48.9%; doctors, 58.3%), watering of the eyes (nurses, 40%; doctors, 41.7%) and coughing (nurses, 48.9%; doctors, 27.8%), as well as sore throat, nausea, drowsiness, dizziness, sneezing, rhinitis and bad odors absorbed in the hair, according to an article titled “The examination of problems experienced by nurses and doctors associated with exposure to surgical smoke and the necessary precautions” that appeared in the June 2016 issue of the Journal of Clinical Nursing.

Agenda items without health policy impact are indicated by italics.

Thursday, May 15, 2025     9:00 a.m.

AGENDA

SB 157 Sen. Bayer  Cemeteries and funerals: other; pet cemetery regulation act; create.

SB 229  Sen. Moss  Sales tax: other; deduction or exclusion and audit of qualified delivery network sales; provide for.

And any other business properly before the committee.

As passed by the MI Senate, SB 157 would add powers/responsibilities to local health departments, courts, and registers of deeds, as well as state DNR and EGLE departments. 

Expect pet burial costs to rise.

No news reports so far on this bill in my search, but apparently this niche market has an even more niche aspect to it. One Muskegon cemetery took the plunge this fall, using our tax dollars.

https://www.mlive.com/news/muskegon/2025/10/new-pet-cemetery-opens-in-west-michigan-to-memorialize-furry-companions.html

New pet cemetery opens in West Michigan to memorialize furry companions

Kayla Tucker    |    Oct. 06, 2025 

SHELBY TWP., MI - A West Michigan township has added a pet cemetery for the community.

The Woodside Pet Memorial, located at 2867 W. Woodrow Road in Oceana County’s Shelby Township, is now dedicated to people’s beloved furry companions.

“Where can I bring my loved one, my furry friend if they pass away?” said Richard Raffaelli, township supervisor, adding that local residents previously had to drive far to bury their pets.

The 10-acre parcel next to Mt. Hope Cemetery features a large welcoming arch that leads into a large green space with a cross-section sidewalk and bench seating at the center. A gazebo with benches provides shaded seating.

The cemetery caters to both cremated remains and burial plots. There is space for approximately 650 plots, but the township could expand on the site, Raffaelli said.

Since the cemetery’s opening in the last month, 42 plots have been sold, about half of those to residents.

Burial lots are $300 for township residents and $350 for non-residents. A full burial, which would include a casket, could cost $120 to $300 more. Animals more than 100 pounds could incur additional charges.

Cremation burials cost $150 on weekdays and $200 on weekends for township residents and $200 on weekdays and $250 on weekends for non-residents. Up to two cremains are permitted per plot.

The Courageous Companions Garden is a specialized burial plot area for law enforcement or military animals, therapy animals and service animals, including K-9 service dogs, school therapy pets and animals trained to support individuals with disabilities.

“The garden recognizes the diligence, training and temperament needed for these animals to perform their unique tasks for the betterment of their handler and community,” the website states.

Before burial in the garden, pets will need to be verified as specialized or service animals.

People will also have options to reserve space at the park to hold ceremonies for their pets, Raffaelli said.

The pet cemetery will be incorporated into the township’s park and cemetery plan.

The total project cost was $65,000, Raffaelli said, and the township chipped in $26,000 of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. The difference is being paid for by private donations.

If the cemetery fills up to 75%, the revenue could fund an expansion, Raffaelli said.

The township had dirt moved, gravel roads created and a parking lot paved.

A local steel fabricator constructed the 18-foot archway “welcoming people into the cemetery,” Raffaelli said.

He said a couple residents expressed an interest in having a pet cemetery, but there wasn’t an overwhelming request for one. He said township leaders did speak to local veterinarians.

“It was a natural fit,” Raffaelli said.

Mt. Hope Cemetery has about 9,000 human plots on about 10 acres.

The township opened up a new community park last year, which saw 110,000 visitors in its first year.

An indoor athletic facility is being constructed next to the park, gearing up to serve families around the county and surrounding communities with indoor sports and entertainment options.

It meets tomorrow. I've indicated non-health bills in the agenda with italics.

Tuesday, December 2, 2025     2:30 p.m.

AGENDA

SB 198 Sen. Singh Occupations: vehicles, dealers, and repair facilities; requirements for automobile dealer data collection; provide for.

Pending Re-Referral:

SB 472 Sen. Singh Individual income tax: revenue distributions; earmark of withholding tax capture revenues into the more jobs for Michigan fund; provide for.

SB 473 Sen. Singh Economic development: Michigan strategic fund; more jobs for Michigan program; create.

And any other business properly before the committee.

State economic development has been called playing winners and losers, the governor's slush fund, earmarks, and pork-barrel spending. All true.

It also steals your economic voice, especially in healthcare.

This is the first hearing for these bills. However, the notice of "Pending Re-Referral" means the committee plans to shunt them elsewhere. You can follow their path at the hot linked bill numbers.

SB 0334 of 2023 Regulatory Affairs
Santana, Sylvia A. Health facilities: hospitals; development of a staffing plan for nurses; require. Amends 1978 PA 368 (MCL 333.1101 - 333.25211) by adding secs. 21525 & 21525a. REFERRED 5/11/2023

SB 0335 of 2023 Regulatory Affairs
Chang, Stephanie Health facilities: hospitals; mandatory overtime for nurses; prohibit except under certain circumstances. Amends sec. 20165 of 1978 PA 368 (MCL 333.20165) & adds secs. 17233 & 21526. REFERRED 5/11/2023

SB 0336 of 2023 Regulatory Affairs
Moss, Jeremy Health facilities: hospitals; record of direct care registered professional nurse-to-patient ratios for each unit for each shift; require hospitals to maintain. Amends 1978 PA 368 (MCL 333.1101 - 333.25211) by adding sec. 21525a. REFERRED 5/11/2023

SB 0442 of 2023 Regulatory Affairs
Hertel, Kevin Cemeteries and funerals: other; refrigeration units inside crematories; require. Amends 1968 PA 251 (MCL 456.521 - 456.543) by adding sec. 12b. REFERRED 6/28/2023

SB 0443 of 2023 Regulatory Affairs
Webber, Michael Cemeteries and funerals: other; funeral establishments to have refrigeration units in certain circumstances; require. Amends sec. 1809 of 1980 PA 299 (MCL 339.1809). REFERRED 6/28/2023

SB 0444 of 2023 Regulatory Affairs
Hertel, Kevin Cemeteries and funerals: other; ownership of a crematory by an owner of a funeral establishment; allow. Amends secs. 1801, 1806a & 1810 of 1980 PA 299 (MCL 339.1801 et seq.) & adds sec. 1809c. TIE BAR WITH: SB 0445'23, SB 0446'23 REFERRED 6/28/2023

SB 0445 of 2023 Regulatory Affairs
Wojno, Paul Cemeteries and funerals: other; definition of cemetery; modify. Amends sec. 2 of 1968 PA 251 (MCL 456.522). TIE BAR WITH: SB 0444'23 REFERRED 6/28/2023

SB 0446 of 2023 Regulatory Affairs
Victory, Roger Cemeteries and funerals: other; definitions relating to crematories; modify. Amends sec. 3 of 1986 PA 255 (MCL 328.213). TIE BAR WITH: SB 0444'23 REFERRED 6/28/2023

SB 0469 of 2023 Regulatory Affairs
Hoitenga, Michele Children: child care; fingerprint requirement for child care licensees; expand locations to obtain. Amends sec. 5n of 1973 PA 116 (MCL 722.115n). REFERRED 9/7/2023

SB 0544 of 2023 Regulatory Affairs
Klinefelt, Veronica Occupations: individual licensing and registration; license for refrigeration facility for storage of a dead human body and certificate of registration for a removal service for a dead human body; provide for. Amends 1980 PA 299 (MCL 339.101 - 339.2677) by adding art. 18A. 2024-02-15, 2024-02-29 REFERRED 10/3/2023 REPORTED FAVORABLY WITH SUBSTITUTE (S-3)

SB 0545 of 2023 Regulatory Affairs
Klinefelt, Veronica Occupations: licensing fees; refrigeration facility and removal service for a dead human body; establish license, registration, and application fees. Amends 1979 PA 152 (MCL 338.2201 - 338.2277) by adding sec. 43a. TIE BAR WITH: SB 0544'23 2024-02-15, 2024-02-29 REFERRED 10/3/2023 REPORTED FAVORABLY WITHOUT AMENDMENT

SB 0702 of 2024 Regulatory Affairs
Singh, Sam Occupations: cosmetologists; minimum hours of training for licensure as instructor, manicurist, and esthetician; increase. Amends secs. 1206, 1209 & 1210 of 1980 PA 299 (MCL 339.1206 et seq.). 2024-02-29, 2024-03-14 REFERRED 2/1/2024 REPORTED FAVORABLY WITH SUBSTITUTE (S-1)

SB 0703 of 2024 Regulatory Affairs
Singh, Sam Occupations: cosmetologists; branch facilities for a school of cosmetology; provide for. Amends 1980 PA 299 (MCL 339.101 - 339.2677) by adding sec. 1205b. REFERRED 2/1/2024

HB 4647 of 2023 Regulatory Affairs
Aiyash, Abraham Occupations: individual licensing and registration; department of licensing and regulatory affairs inspection requirements of barbershops and barber colleges; modify. Amends sec. 1113 of 1980 PA 299 (MCL 339.1113). REFERRED 10/12/2023