Gov.

Rick Snyder signs bill ensuring Michigan children have access to

career and technical education
Also signs bills creating electronic vehicle titling, nine other bills

Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2014

LANSING, Mich. Gov. Rick Snyder today signed legislation ensuring that Michigan students have
access to information regarding career and technical education programs.
Skilled trades jobs are constantly in demand in our state, Snyder said. Ensuring Michigan students
have all the information on how to incorporate these programs into their education will help prepare
them for the jobs of the future.
Senate Bill 66, sponsored by state Sen. John Proos, ensures that students will be provided
information about how career and technical education courses fit into their merit curriculum
requirements. Under the legislation, the Michigan Department of Education will provide local districts
with information including the role of career tech in a personal curriculum, examples of career
opportunities coming out of these programs and available career tech programs throughout the
state. School districts are also encouraged to establish programs that credit students with a
professional certificate for training upon completion.
It is now Public Act 288of 2014.
The governor also signed 10 other bills:
SBs 915-918, sponsored by state Sens. Tom Casperson, Mike Nofs, Steve Bieda, and Jack
Brandenburg respectively, establish an electronic titling system where an electronic title will be held
by the state until all liens on a vehicle have been satisfied. This legislation will allow the Secretary of
States Office to better identify title fraud and allow financial institutions to electronically record lien
information on titles with the state. Michigan is the 19th state to implement this system to combat
automobile title fraud. They are now PAs 289-292.
House Bill 5793, sponsored by state Rep. Lisa Posthumus Lyons, is a technical fix clarifying
requirements within the Michigan high school Merit Curriculum regarding use of career and technical
education as an alternative option to fulfill foreign language requirements. The legislation clarifies PA
208 of 2014, to put this path in place for students who began third grade in 2006 (graduating in
2016), as students graduating this school year were not given ample time to fulfill this requirement. It
is now PA 293.

SB 277, sponsored by state Sen. Joe Hune, removes the current requirement for intrastate non-
commercial vehicles over 5,000 pounds to display the vehicle owners information on the outside of
the vehicle. This information will still be required for all towing or platform bed wreckers or road
service vehicles. Removing this requirement will relieve unnecessary costs and burdens on
intrastate non-CDL commercial vehicle owners. It is now PA 294.
SB 473, sponsored by state Sen. Jack Brandenburg, simplifies and aligns the Income Tax Act with
federal standards. The bill exempts flow through tax entities from withholding requirements for
companies involved in certain government housing assistance programs. It is now PA 295.
SB 616, sponsored by state Sen. Roger Kahn, adjusts the Michigan Department of Community
Health budget to reflect recently enacted changes to the Health Insurance Claims Assessment
(HICA) law and the HMO use tax law. The budget supplemental adjusts appropriations for the
Medicaid program to reflect revenue projections due to these laws. It is now PA 296.
SB 922, sponsored by state Sen. Jack Brandenburg, provides incentives for local units of
government to convert their pension systems to defined contribution plans by extending a sunset law
by one year allowing governments to borrow funds to cover unfunded pension liabilities to Dec. 31,
2015. It is now PA 297.
SB 1017, sponsored by state Sen. Roger Kahn, expands reimbursements for stamping agents to
include related equipment in addition to the initial stamping machine. The bill allows for
compensation of direct costs. It is now PA 298.
For more information on legislation, visit legislature.michigan.gov.
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