16 important bills to watch that could impact water protection – good and bad
by Melissa DeSimone, MLSA Executive Director
There is so much to share on the State level that I am unable to give a full account of any of these bills in this newsletter. I encourage you to click the button below to see all 16 bills, click through each one to see where they are in the legislative process, read the articles I included from trusted sources, and use a search engine to see what people are saying about them.
SB 812 – Watercraft: wake boats; define and regulate.
- Provides a 500 ft distance from shore and other vessels, as well as a 20 ft depth requirement. Similar to a House bill introduced in 2023 that did not get a hearing.
HB 4946 – Watercraft: other; local ordinance; modify procedure for approval of.
- Allows DNR and local units of government to create rules to manage boating activities, ensuring public safety and the sharing of waterways.
HB 5536 – Natural resources: wetlands; definition of wetland; update.
- This bill would greatly reduce the amount of protected wetlands in Michigan. Here is an article by Circle of Blue.
SB 771 – Environmental protection: sewage; onsite wastewater treatment systems; regulate, and provide for assessments and evaluations.
- This bill creates a statewide septic code – environmental groups have been working on this for many years now. Read HRWC’s testimony on this bill.
HB 5698 and HB 5699 – Permitting structure for discharge of wash water
- Allows washwater from produce to be discharged from farms without a permit.
SB 553 – Economic development: tax increment financing; water resource improvement authorities
- Modifies tax increment financing of water improvement authorities, which would provide more funding for shoreline protection, ecological assessments, water quality monitoring, and other water-related recreation.
HB 4385 and HB 5103 – Temporary erosion control structures; authorize without permit during high water levels
- Allows sand bagging and other shoreline hardening on the Great Lakes during high water without a permit.
HB 5485 – Natural resources: inland lakes; dam safety regulations
- Trying again for dam safety. After the failure in Midland, there were recommendations made to improve dam safety. This bill would put most of those in place.
HB 5498 – Public employees and officers: state; designated job positions for state agencies that issue state permits
- Changes the structure of the EGLE permit staff in such a way that it may not be even possible with the budget and number of staff available.
SB 504 – Water supply: quality and standards; testing and reporting of the amount of microplastics in public drinking water supplies; require.
SB 505 – Environmental protection: hazardous products; Michigan statewide microplastics strategy; establish.
HB 4767 – Environmental protection: hazardous products; Michigan statewide microplastics strategy; establish.
HB 4768 – Water supply: quality and standards; testing and reporting of the amount of microplastics in public drinking water supplies; require.
- A group of bills to monitor and control microplastics in our waters and environment. These bills will have a huge public health impact. Read an article addressing all these bills from the Michigan Environmental Council.
HB 5707 – Exemption to permitting requirements for construction of certain residential ponds
- Seems to be about residential ponds, but it would have a greater impact.
Luckily, the House and Senate are on Spring Break, so there are no hearings scheduled at the moment. However, the most important thing you can do is ENGAGE! If you feel strongly about any of these topics or have questions about them, let your elected officials know. If I learned anything in Washington DC last month, it’s that elected officials care most about what their constituents have to say, more so than statewide organizations like MLSA. They want to hear from you.