Advocacy Update

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAWritten by Forrest Wall, CAE, Staff Vice President and Industry Relations

Governor Signs Bill Allowing Medical Marihuana Prohibition
Governor Rick Snyder has signed an important rental property amendment to the Michigan Medical Marihuana Act. As you may recall from last month’s column, in the final days of the 2015-16 legislative session the Michigan Legislature passed Senate Bill 72. The amendment allows a landlord to prohibit the smoking and/or growing of medical marihuana, as long as the prohibition is in the written lease. When signed by the Governor in early January it became Public Act 546 of 2016. The new law takes effect on April 10, 2017, so please wait until after that date to make changes to your leases.

2017 AAM Priorities
As the focus shifts to the 2017-18 Michigan Legislature, here are the initial legislative priorities of the Association for this session:

Apartment Inspection Reform – After successful passage of “Reform Bill #1” (inclusion of townships under the law) in the last session, we were disappointed by Senate inaction in the final days of 2016 on “Reform Bill #2.” This bill focuses on a resident’s right to provide permission prior to local government inspection. AAM is seeking quick reintroduction of the legislation and will push for approval this year.

Bed Bugs – Legislation based on model National Apartment Association legislation was agreed upon in the last session, but ultimately did not pass. The bill would, among other things, establish the responsibilities of both landlords and residents in bed bug infestations, and allow lease provisions to assign responsibility for costs. This legislation will again be a priority for the industry.

Rent Control – AAM continues to vigorously defend the preemption of local rent control, which this organization successfully lobbied for back in the 1980s. Every legislative session we face bills to undo the preemption, and the coming session is expected to be no different.

This entry was posted in 2017, February 2017. Bookmark the permalink.