Article courtesy of MIRS for SBAM’s Lansing Watchdog newsletter
Seven more “red tape” reduction bills being pushed by House Rules Committee Chair Bill G. Schuette (R-Midland) passed overwhelmingly out of the House Wednesday, joining seven other pieces of legislation from the package that’s moving through the system.
The bills moved out of the House Rules Committee on Wednesday as Schuette eyes some 40 bills he’d like to get through committee by the end of the first quarter.
“Brown paper packages are tied up in string, but Michigan families are tied up in unnecessary red tape,” Schuette said. “The bipartisan package of bills House Republicans passed today are an important step to get government out of their way and help lower costs on Michiganders.”
While the bill that reduced apprenticeship hours for barbers got unanimous support, it was the only one.
Two bills that allowed licensed professionals to scrub their records for not finishing their continuing education credits, for one, rubbed Rep. Phil Skaggs (D-Grand Rapids) the wrong way.
“If there’s no record of you failing to complete your continuing ed, why would anyone complete their continuing education?” said Skaggs, adding that certain associations aren’t on board with the changes. “I think we’re cheapening professionalism and endangering consumer protections.”
The bills that passed Wednesday include:
- HB 4933, sponsored by Rep. Donni Steele (R-Lake Orion), which ends state regulations over personnel agencies, passed 57-46.
- HB 4892, sponsored by Rep. Steve Frisbie (R-Battle Creek), which allows an accountant who runs their own shop to not have to get a separate license to operate an accounting firm, passed 93-10.
- HB 4919, sponsored by Rep. Jaime Greene (R-Richmond), which allows someone who didn’t finish their continuing education credits on time to get the citation wiped off their record once they provide proof to the state that they completed the necessary courses, passed 84-19.
- HB 4927, sponsored by Rep. Parker Fairbairn (R-Harbor Springs), which reduced the number of apprenticeship or barber college hours you need to get a barber license from 1,800 to 1,500, passed 103-0.
- HB 4895, sponsored by Rep. Rylee Linting (R-Wyandotte), which allows all continuing education requirements for an occupation to be completed online, passed 88-15.
- HB 5284, sponsored by Rep. Timothy Beson (R-Bay City), which allows accountants, engineers, realtors, surveyors and appraisers to scrub their inability to finish their continuing education credits from their record as long as it was a one-time oversight and the credits were made up, passed 94-9.
- HB 4914, sponsored by Rep. Pat Outman (R-Six Lakes), which ends a requirement that two-thirds of a firm’s principals must be licensed as architects, professional engineers or surveyors for it to operate, passed 70-33.
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