Michigan Votes: State House Passes Law to Allow People to Try Unapproved COVID-19 Drugs

MichiganVotes provides this summary of votes in the state legislature.

House Bill 5294, Expand ban on offering faux-government services: Passed 38 to 0To expand a state “consumer protection act” provision that restricts third parties from offering online services that are similar to ones performed by a governmental agency, by requiring they “conspicuously” indicate that the operation is not a government entity, and disclose the prices and terms.

Senate Bill 445, Waive some unemployment job search requirements during epidemic: Passed 38 to 0 in the SenateTo revise during the coronavirus epidemic an unemployment benefits requirement that a recipient be "available" for either part-time or full-time work. Under current law the requirement is to be available for full-time work.

House Bill 5637, Expand “right to try” experimental drugs to coronavirus: Passed 56 to 48 in the HouseTo extend to COVID-19 treatments a 2014 "Right to Try” state law that lets terminal patients use and drug companies provide non-FDA approved treatments, subject to a broad array of restrictions, conditions and requirements.

House Bill 4173, Eliminate cap on crime information rewards: Passed 102 to 0 in the HouseTo eliminate the $2,000 cap in a law authorizing counties to offer rewards for information leading to the arrest and conviction of a criminal, or the capture of an escaped convict. Under the bill there would be no limit on how large a reward a county could pay.

House Bill 4693, Revise landlord referral restriction: Passed 38 to 0 in the SenateTo revise a law that bans landlords from offering, and tenants accepting, more than half a month’s free rent in return for a tenant referral. The bill would allow up to a month’s free rent for this.

House Bill 5686, Require legislature get notice of changes to school "seat time" rules: Passed 54 to 50 in the HouseTo require that prior to their adoption any changes made by state officials to a “pupil accounting and auditing manual” must be sent to the chairpersons of the state House and Senate education policy committees. This document is used to set standards for the number of school days and hours provided by public school districts for purposes of determining whether a district meets the qualifications to get state school aid money. As introduced the bill would have required legislative approval for these changes, which have played a role in school districts' decisions to close classrooms during the COVID epidemic.

House Bill 5527, Raise spending cap on job training subsidy program for select employers: Passed 82 to 22 in the HouseTo increase from $50 million to $100 million the debt cap in a 2008 law that authorized state job training subsidies for particular employers, provided through community colleges. The scheme diverts income tax collected from the new employees to repay the local college for the training.

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