Governor Gretchen Whitmer has signed legislation that would establish an emergency supply of medical supplies for the state. The bill is among a slew of legislation signed into law by the governor Friday. The governor’s office tells us more:
Governor Whitmer today signed House Bill 4087 which will establish an emergency stockpile of medical supplies to prepare for future emergencies.
House Bill 4087 will amend the Emergency Management Act to require the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to stockpile the medical supplies necessary to respond to a state of disaster or state of emergency in Michigan and require DHHS to display a list of the medical supplies inventory on its website. The bill would give preference to goods or services manufactured or provided by Michigan businesses.
“COVID-19 has had an immense impact on our state’s healthcare system and its ability to provide quality care in critical conditions,” said Governor Gretchen Whitmer. “This bill will ensure that our state’s healthcare system is better equipped to handle future emergencies.”
“The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services protects the health and well-being of Michiganders before, during and after an emergency,” said Elizabeth Hertel, MDHHS director. “Maintaining a stockpile of medical supplies ensures we are ready and able to take action quickly to assist our healthcare system address future emergencies affecting our state.”
House Bill 4087 was sponsored by Rep. Jeff Yaroch, R-Richmond, and a copy of the bill can be found here.
“We’ve learned a lot of lessons from the COVID pandemic, and one of them is we must be better prepared as a state for this type of emergency,” said State Representative Jeff Yaroch, a paramedic and former firefighter. “People think the federal government stockpiles enough supplies to handle a pandemic – that’s simply not true. This new law will create a stockpile of PPE to ensure that emergency responders and health care workers have what they need to stay safe.”
The governor also signed House Bill 4026, House Bill 4659, House Bill 4637, House Bill 4431, and House Bill 4712.
House Bill 4026 will revise the fee paid for the recreation passport for vehicular entry to state parks, recreation areas, and boat launches, allowing a two-year pass to be purchased for $20.
House Bill 4026 was sponsored by Rep. Gary Eisen, R-St. Clair Township, and a copy of the bill can be found here.
House Bill 4659 will amend the Public Health Code to permit certain exceptions to the requirement that prescriptions be transmitted electronically.
House Bill 4659 was sponsored by Rep. Joseph Bellino, R-Monroe, and a copy of the bill can be found here.
House Bill 4637 will allow a township board to change the name of the township, subject to approval of a majority of electors of the township.
House Bill 4637 was sponsored by Rep. David Martin, R-Davison, and a copy of the bill can be found here.
House Bill 4431 will amend the Bingo Act to change the definition of “occasion” to allow charities and halls to host multiple events per day. This bill fixes the definition of “occasion” that had been limiting the number of bingo games that charities could offer per day.
House Bill 4431 was sponsored by Rep. Kevin Hertel, D-St. Clair Shores, and a copy of the bill can be found here.
House Bill 4712 will the developer of the Ford Wixom Site Development Project in Oakland County to allocate investments between two adjacent development areas in order to maximize the value of the combined credits. The bill also extends the project deadline by 5 years.
House Bill 4712 was sponsored by Rep. Ryan Berman, R-Commerce Township, and a copy of the bill can be found here.
