Senate Bill 690: Allocate epidemic relief money for state and schools: Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate
To allocate Michigan's $523.7 million share of federal relief dollars approved by Congress to help state governments and schools deal with the coronavirus epidemic. The allocations include $125 million for subsidies to licensed child care providers who give discounts this spring; $15 million for school district summer school programs (distributed based on the epidemic’s “impact in the communities” serve they serve); $100 million to pay for giving $1,000 bonuses to local law enforcement and public safety personnel, emergency first responders, 9-1-1 operators and others; $178 million to give a temporary $3 per hour bonus to “direct care workers” covered by Medicaid and other social welfare programs; $50 million in grants to buy personal protection equipment to “priority providers” designated by the state health and welfare department, and more.
Senate Bill 887: Coronavirus epidemic response bills – push back tax deadlines: Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate
To push-back the April 15 deadline for filing and paying annual or required quarterly state income tax (and also an April 30 deadline for certain payers) until July 15 (or July 30), 2020. If the federal tax deadline gets pushed back further than this then the Michigan deadline would be extended to the same date. Senate Bills 888 and 889 were also adopted, to waive penalties and interest on the delayed filings and payments, and give the same treatment to city income tax filings and payments.
House Bill 5412: Facilitate more use of telemedicine: Passed 105 to 0 in the House
To revise the definition of “telemedicine” in the state insurance code, by replacing a requirement that a patient be able to interact in real time with the off-site health care professional at the time the services are provided, with a requirement that the health care professional "must be able to examine the patient via a...secure interactive audio or video telecommunications system, or through the use of store and forward online messaging." House Bills 5413 to 5416 amend other laws to make similar changes in Medicaid and related social welfare programs, and also remove current restrictions that prohibit getting telemedicine services at home.
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By Jack McHugh
