Michigan's House Bill 4672: Law Or Not?

House Bill 4672 in Michigan was introduced in 2015 and 2021, but the bill's status as a law is unclear. The Michigan Legislature website provides information on the bill's introduction and adjournment dates but does not specify whether it was enacted or rejected. As of 2023, the bill appears to be inactive, with the latest update showing adjournment dates for the House and Senate.

What is the Michigan Legislature?

The Michigan Legislature is the state legislature of Michigan. It is a bicameral institution consisting of the Michigan Senate (the upper house) and the House of Representatives (the lower house). The Michigan Legislature meets in the Capitol in Lansing, Michigan.

The Michigan Senate is composed of 38 members who are elected on a partisan basis for four-year terms, coinciding with the election of the governor of Michigan. As of the 2020 Census, Michigan state senators represented an average of 265,380 residents. The lieutenant governor of Michigan serves as President of the Senate but may only cast a vote in the event of a tie.

The House of Representatives, on the other hand, consists of 110 members who are elected on a partisan basis for two-year terms, coinciding with the elections for members of Congress. As of the 2020 Census, Michigan state representatives represented an average of 91,677 residents. The House of Representatives selects its own Speaker of the House and other officers and adopts its rules of procedure at the start of each new legislative session.

The Michigan Legislature is currently controlled by the Democratic Party, which holds the governor's office and majorities in both chambers of the state legislature.

What is the Michigan Compiled Laws?

The Michigan Compiled Laws are a set of laws passed by the Michigan Legislature, which consists of the Michigan House of Representatives and the Michigan Senate. The House of Representatives has 110 members serving two-year terms, while the Senate has 38 members serving four-year terms. Members of the House of Representatives are limited to three consecutive terms, while Senate members are limited to two.

A proposed law is known as a bill, which can be introduced in either chamber of the Michigan Legislature. After a bill is introduced, it is referred to one or more standing committees. These committees determine whether a bill should move forward, and they can also propose amendments. If a bill passes through the committee phase, it will return to the chamber in which it was introduced. This chamber will discuss the bill and consider any amendments suggested by a committee or by members of the chamber. Once the bill has been finalized, the original chamber will vote on whether to pass it.

If the bill is passed, it will go through the same process in the other chamber. It is possible that the second chamber will amend the bill and pass a different version of it. A bill will not reach the next stage unless the differences between these versions are resolved. Each chamber must pass identical versions of the bill.

If each chamber of the legislature passes the bill, the Governor of Michigan will review it. The Governor may sign the bill into law or choose not to take action, which usually means the bill will become law. However, if the Governor vetoes the bill, it will return to the legislature. The legislature can vote to override the Governor's veto and pass the bill into law, but this requires a two-thirds majority vote in each chamber.

What is a Public Act?

A Public Act is a bill that has become law. It is a statute created by the government and published in the Statutes at Large, which is a book of laws that affect everyone in a community or country. Public acts are also known as public statutes or general statutes. They deal with a wide range of topics, including constitutional law, criminal law, and administrative law. For example, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a public act that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in employment, transportation, and public accommodations. The Clean Air Act is another example of a public act, which regulates air pollution.

Public acts are created to protect the rights and well-being of the general public. They establish legal guidelines that must be followed by individuals and organizations to ensure a fair and just society. Public acts are separate from regulations, which govern the internal procedures of state agencies.

In the United States, when a bill is passed in identical form by both the Senate and the House, it is sent to the president for their signature. If the president signs the bill, it becomes a law or an Act of Congress. A citation to a public law would look something like this: P.L.107-101, where 107 indicates the law was passed during the 107th Congress, and 101 is the numerical designation it received. Public and private laws are printed as slip laws, which are single sheets or pamphlets containing the text of the law. At the end of each session of Congress, slip laws are compiled into a volume called U.S. Statutes at Large. Most laws are eventually incorporated into the U.S. Code.

What is the House?

The House, also known as the House of Representatives, is one of two chambers of the United States Congress, the other being the Senate. Together, they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The House is charged with the passage of federal legislation, known as bills.

The House is made up of representatives, who are elected to a two-year term serving the people of a specific congressional district. Each representative introduces bills and resolutions, offers amendments, and serves on committees. The number of representatives with full voting rights is 435, a number set by Public Law 62-5 on August 8, 1911, and in effect since 1913. The number of representatives per state is proportionate to population.

The House's exclusive powers include initiating all revenue bills, impeaching federal officers, and electing the president if no candidate receives a majority of votes in the Electoral College.

The House leadership includes the speaker, majority and minority leaders, assistant leaders, whips, and a party caucus or conference. The speaker acts as the leader of the House and combines several institutional and administrative roles. Majority and minority leaders represent their respective parties on the House floor. Whips assist leadership in managing their party's legislative program on the House floor. A party caucus or conference is the name given to a meeting of all party members in the House.

The House's standing committees have different legislative jurisdictions. Each considers bills and issues and recommends measures for consideration by the House. Committees also have oversight responsibilities to monitor agencies, programs, and activities within their jurisdictions.

What is the Senate?

The U.S. Senate, together with the U.S. House of Representatives, makes up the U.S. Congress. The Senate holds certain unique powers and obligations, and its makeup is different from that of the House of Representatives. Two senators represent each state, and senators serve staggered six-year terms. Senators must be 30 years of age, U.S. citizens for at least nine years, and residents of the state they represent.

The Senate has the sole power to confirm the President's appointments that require consent and to provide advice and consent to ratify treaties. However, there are two exceptions: the House must also approve appointments to the Vice Presidency and any treaty involving foreign trade. The Senate also tries impeachment cases for federal officials referred to it by the House.

The Vice President of the United States serves as President of the Senate and may cast the decisive vote in the event of a tie. The Senate has 17 committees, with 70 subcommittees, and each committee oversees a specific policy area. The subcommittees take on more specialized policy areas.

The first step in the legislative process is the introduction of a bill to Congress. After being introduced, a bill is referred to the appropriate committee for review. If the committee votes to approve the bill, it is reported to the floor of the House or Senate, and the majority party leadership decides when to place the bill on the calendar for consideration. A bill must pass both houses of Congress before going to the President for consideration.

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