LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS

Legislative Website

The Michigan Legislature Website can be accessed at http://www.legislature.mi.gov. This is a free service of the Michigan Legislative Council, the Michigan House of Representatives, and the Michigan Senate.

You can visit this site as a guest to view past and current bill activity in the State of Michigan. Searching capabilities are easy to use if you want to search by bill number or simply a key word.

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Current Legislation Under Review:

2007 House Bill 4339 (Mandate specified nurse-patient ratios):

Introduced by Rep. Lisa Wojno to require hospitals to maintain staff-to-patient ratios, including, at a minimum: one nurse for each patient in an operating room or trauma emergency unit; one nurse for every two patients in critical care units, including labor and delivery or postanesthesia units; one nurse for every three patients in antepartum, emergency room, pediatrics, step-down, or telemetry units; one nurse for every four patients in intermediate care nursery, medical, surgical, or acute care psychiatric units; one nurse for every five patients in rehabilitation units; and one nurse for every six patients in postpartum or well-baby nursery units. The Department of Community Health would be required to enforce these ratios, and to impose more stringent ones depending on the level of acute care generally required in a particular hospital or unit.

2007 House Bill 4340 (Penalize failure to meet mandated nurse-patient ratios):

Introduced by Rep. Lisa Wojno to establish penalties of $1,000 per day per violation by hospitals that fail to meet the nursing staff ratios that House Bill 4339 would mandate, and $10,000 per day if they fail to have a staffing plan in place to meet that mandate. The bill would impose certain related recordkeeping and disclosure regulations on hospitals.

2007 House Bill 4341 (Prohibit mandatory overtime for hospital nurses):

Introduced by Rep. Lisa Wojno to prohibit hospitals from requiring mandatory overtime for nurses.

2007 Senate Bill 63 (Mandate hospital nurse-to-patient ratios):

Introduced by Sen. Bruce Patterson to require hospitals to maintain various nurse-to-patient ratios specified in the bill, subject to penalties of up to $10,000 for each shift on which the mandated ratios are not maintained.

2007 Senate Bill 245 (Increase reimbursement of certain nurse practitioners):

Introduced by Sen. Samuel B. Thomas, III to reimburse nurse practitioners in medically underserved areas at the same rate as physicians for state-subsidized medical services they provide to low income persons.

2007 House Bill 4207 (Revise foreign nurse licensing):

Introduced by Rep. Hoon-Yung Hopgood to authorize the licensure of graduates from a nursing education program located outside the United States who do not have a certificate from the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools, subject to certain requirements and limitations. When passed, given immediate effect.

2007 House Bill 4510 (Impose colorectal screening insurance mandate):

Senate Bill 415 (Require certain HPV information be made available):

Introduced by Sen. Deborah Cherry to require the Department of Education to identify and place on its web site materials that contain information regarding the risks associated with human papillomavirus (HPV), and the availability, effectiveness, and potential risks of HPV vaccines; and encourage public and private schools to provide or make available this information to parents and students.

Senate Bill 416 (Require certain HPV information be made available):

Introduced by Sen. Tony Stamas to require that if school districts provide information on immunizations, infectious disease, medications, or other school health issues to parents and guardians of sixth graders, then they must also provide information about the risks associated with human papillomavirus (HPV), and the availability, effectiveness, and potential risks of HPV vaccines.

House Bill 4569 (Regulate use of Lindane):

Introduced by Rep. Ted Hammon to prohibit the sale or use of human lice treatments containing lindane. Restricts availability and use to a physician. Administraiton must be under driect supervision of physician.

Senate Bill 562 (Authorize nursing scholarships):

Introduced by Sen. Cameron Brown to authorize a scholarship program that gives grants of up to $4,000 to nursing students with graduate degrees who agree to teach in nursing programs in Michigan for at least three years after graduation.

Senate Bill 563 (Authorize nursing school grants):

Introduced by Sen. Cameron Brown to authorize state grants of up to $3.75 million each to nursing schools that meet certain criteria specified in the bill. The bill does not appropriate any money for this purpose.

Senate Bill 564 (Authorize fund-raising license plate for nurses):