Synder signs bill to help veterans

LANSING, Mich. – Gov. Rick Snyder recently signed legislation that helps military veterans gain employment in the electrician and plumbing fields. The measures require experience gained through military service to be taken into account when being considered for licenses in those fields.

“Helping our veterans make the transition to civilian life is important to them and to the job providers who need their skills,” Snyder said. “The unemployment rate for veterans is significantly higher than that of the general population and any way we can leverage their skills and experience to help them gain employment is a good thing. We’re proud of these men and women. They’ve served our nation and they have a lot to offer Michigan.”

House Bill 5582, sponsored by state Rep. Gail Haines, amends the Electrical Administrative Act to allow certain experience a person gained while serving in the military to meet the experience qualifications for an electrical journeyman’s license. Similarly, HB 5583, sponsored by state Rep. Mark Ouimet, requires the state Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs to issue a journeyman plumbing license to an applicant who has met certain experience requirements while serving in the military.

HB 5582 and 5583 are now Public Acts 379 and 380 of 2012.

Snyder also signed the following bills:

HB 4096, sponsored by state Rep. Kevin Cotter, increases government transparency by requiring all state agencies to post online any information related to the expenditure of tax dollars. A website will be established for all agencies by the state Department of Technology, Management and Budget and will include the name of any entity receiving funds, the amount of dollars used and where they came from, and a description of expenses for all state departments. HB 4096 is now PA 381 of 2012.

HB 4860, sponsored by state Rep. Jim Stamas, increases the penalty for failing to report the transfer of ownership of an industrial or commercial property to a local assessor. The penalty for failing to report within 45 days is now $20 per day for each failure, with a maximum fine of $1,000 if the sale price of the transferred property is $100 million or less. If a property is more than $100 million, the maximum is $20,000. HB 4860 is now PA 382.

HB 5089, sponsored by state Rep. Joel Johnson, creates the Program for Utilization of Unused Prescription Drugs with the state Board of Pharmacy. It will coordinate the transfer and dispensing of unused or donated prescription drugs from an eligible facility or manufacturer to participating pharmacies or charitable clinics. It will also provide for the destruction or disposal of prescription drugs that are ineligible. The bill is now PA 383.

HB 5090, sponsored by state Rep. Jim Ananich, requires pharmacies, health professionals or charitable clinics that participate in the Program for Utilization of Unused Prescription Drugs to accept from any person a prescription drug or any other medication that is ineligible for distribution under the program for destruction and disposal. The bill is now PA 384.

HB 5096, sponsored by state Rep. Amanda Price, prohibits the release of identifying information about a former parent of an adopted adult if that parent had surrendered the adoptee as a baby under the Safe Delivery of Newborns law, unless the former parent had consented to the release of information. The bill is now PA 385.

HB 5097, also sponsored by Price, eliminates the explicit authority of a court to terminate a parent’s parental rights to a child if the child was surrendered under the Safe Delivery of Newborns law. The bill is now PA 386.

For more information on legislation, visit www.michiganlegislature.org.