HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
COMMITTEE ON COMMUNICATIONS AND TECHNOLOGY
REP. MICHELE HOITENGA
CHAIR
COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES
Tuesday, March 9, 2021
12:00 PM
Room 307, House Office Building
The House Committee on Communications and Technology was called to order by Chair
Hoitenga.
The Chair requested attendance be called:
Present: Reps. Hoitenga, Damoose, Griffin, Hauck, Reilly, Wozniak, Bezotte, Coleman,
Haadsma, Aiyash, Scott.
Absent: None.
Excused: None.
Representative Griffin moved to adopt the minutes from the February 24th, 2021 meeting.
There being no objection, the motion prevailed by unanimous consent.
The Chair laid SB 46 and HB 4210 before the committee:
SB 46
(Sen. Nesbitt)
A bill to amend 1893 PA 206, entitled "The
general property tax act," (MCL 211.1 to 211.155)
by adding section 9p.
HB 4210
(Rep. Griffin)
A bill to amend 1905 PA 282, entitled "An act to
provide for the assessment of the property, by
whomsoever owned, operated or conducted, of
railroad companies, union station and depot
companies, telegraph companies, telephone
companies, sleeping car companies, express
companies, car loaning companies, stock car
companies, refrigerator car companies, and fast
freight companies, and all other companies
owning, leasing, running or operating any freight,
stock, refrigerator, or any other cars, not being
exclusively the property of any railroad company
paying taxes upon its rolling stock under the
provisions of this act, over or upon the line or
lines of any railroad or railroads in this state, and
for the levy of taxes thereon by a state board of
assessors, and for the collection of such taxes, and
to repeal all acts or parts of acts contravening any
of the provisions of this act," (MCL 207.1 to
207.21) by adding section 5c.
Representative Griffin, testified in support of SB 46 (H-1) and HB 4210 (H-1).
Representative Damoose moved to adopt substitute (H-1) to SB 46. The motion prevailed 11-
0-0:
FAVORABLE ROLL CALL
Yeas: Reps. Hoitenga, Damoose, Griffin, Hauck, Reilly, Wozniak, Bezotte, Coleman,
Haadsma, Aiyash, Scott.
Nays: None.
Pass: None.
Representative Aiyash offered the following amendments to SB 46 (H-1):
1. Amend page 2, line 2, after "least" by striking out "25" and inserting "50".
2. Amend page 2, line 2, after "and" by striking out "3" and inserting "5".
3. Amend page 2, line 3, after "upstream" by inserting a comma and "or any higher
speed threshold adopted by the Federal Communications Commission after the effective
date of the amendatory act that added this section".
Representative Aiyash moved to adopt the amendments to SB 46(H-1). The motion did not
prevail 4-7-0:
UNFAVORABLE ROLL CALL
Yeas: Reps. Coleman, Haadsma, Aiyash, Scott.
Nays: Reps. Hoitenga, Damoose, Griffin, Hauck, Reilly, Wozniak, Bezotte.
Pass: None.
Representative Haadsma offered the following amendment to SB 46(H-1):
1. Amend page 2, following line 13, by inserting:
"(3) The cost of eligible broadband equipment exempt under this section must
not be included in any existing or proposed fee charged to customers for the recovery of
any tax liability owed to this state by the qualified business claiming the exemption." and
renumbering the remaining subsection.
Representative Haadsma moved to adopt the amendment to SB 46(H-1). The motion did not
prevail 4-7-0:
UNFAVORABLE ROLL CALL
Yeas: Reps. Coleman, Haadsma, Aiyash, Scott.
Nays: Reps. Hoitenga, Damoose, Griffin, Hauck, Reilly, Wozniak, Bezotte.
Pass: None.
Representative Haadsma offered the following amendment to SB 46(H-1):
1. Amend page 2, following line 13, by inserting:
"(3) All records relating to the grant of any exemption under this section are
subject to disclosure to the full extent provided for under the freedom of information
act, 1976 PA 442, MCL 15.231 to 15.246." and renumbering the remaining subsection.
Representative Haadsma moved to adopt the amendment to SB 46 (H-1). The motion did not
prevail 4-7-0:
UNFAVORABLE ROLL CALL
Yeas: Reps. Coleman, Haadsma, Aiyash, Scott.
Nays: Reps. Hoitenga, Damoose, Griffin, Hauck, Reilly, Wozniak, Bezotte.
Pass: None.
Representative Scott offered the following amendment to SB 46(H-1):
1. Amend page 2, following line 13, by inserting:
"(3) The department of treasury shall annually collect and publish all of the
following information concerning exemptions in effect under this section:
(a) The total number of exemptions in effect and the current and projected fiscal
impact of those exemptions by revenue source.
(b) A breakdown of all exemptions in effect by type of broadband service offered
and type of equipment exempt under this section.
(c) Mapping data provided in a time and manner prescribed by the department
from each qualified business receiving an exemption under this section that identifies
specific coverage areas for which exempt equipment is intended to resolve lack of
broadband service.
(d) Certification from each qualified business receiving an exemption under this
section that the exempt equipment has been installed and is being used, or will be used,
exclusively to provide the service in specific coverage areas described in subdivision (c).
A certification must indicate the type of broadband service offered, including
descriptions of service plans and customer adoption rates.
(e) Recommendations to improve the processing and issuance of exemptions
under this section and the effectiveness of exemption criteria to materially improve
access to reasonably priced broadband." and renumbering the remaining subsection.
Representative Scott moved to adopt the amendment to SB 46(H-1). The motion did not
prevail 4-7-0:
UNFAVORABLE ROLL CALL
Yeas: Reps. Coleman, Haadsma, Aiyash, Scott.
Nays: Reps. Hoitenga, Damoose, Griffin, Hauck, Reilly, Wozniak, Bezotte.
Pass: None.
Representative Coleman offered the following amendment to SB 46(H-1):
1. Amend page 2, following line 13, by inserting:
"(3) Both of the following apply to any exemption granted under this section:
(a) The qualified business that obtained the exemption shall annually file with the
department of treasury, in a time and manner prescribed by the department of treasury,
a certification of the percentage of prospective customers in that year that adopted the
service in the coverage area for which the exemption was claimed.
(b) If the certified percentage of customer adoption for a coverage area, as described in
subdivision (a), is less than 50% for two consecutive years, the department shall cause
the exemption to be rescinded as to the property in that coverage area." and renumbering
the remaining subsection.
Representative Coleman moved to adopt the amendment to SB 46(H-1). The motion did not
prevail 4-7-0:
UNFAVORABLE ROLL CALL
Yeas: Reps. Coleman, Haadsma, Aiyash, Scott.
Nays: Reps. Hoitenga, Damoose, Griffin, Hauck, Reilly, Wozniak, Bezotte.
Pass: None.
At 12:18 PM, the Chair laid the committee at ease.
At 12:20 PM, the Chair called the committee back to order.
Representative Griffin made a motion to reconsider the vote on the Aiyash amendment to SB
46(H-1). The motion prevailed 11-0-0:
FAVORABLE ROLL CALL
Yeas: Reps. Hoitenga, Damoose, Griffin, Hauck, Reilly, Wozniak, Bezotte, Coleman,
Haadsma, Aiyash, Scott.
Nays: None.
Pass: None.
Representative Damoose moved to adopt the amendment by Representative Aiyash to SB
46(H-1). The motion did not prevail 4-7-0:
UNFAVORABLE ROLL CALL
Yeas: Reps. Coleman, Haadsma, Aiyash, Scott.
Nays: Reps. Hoitenga, Damoose, Griffin, Hauck, Reilly, Wozniak, Bezotte.
Pass: None.
Representative Hauck moved to report out SB 46 with recommendation, as substitute (H-1).
The motion prevailed 7-4-0:
FAVORABLE ROLL CALL
Yeas: Reps. Hoitenga, Damoose, Griffin, Hauck, Wozniak, Bezotte, Haadsma.
Nays: Reps. Reilly, Coleman, Aiyash, Scott.
Pass: None.
Representative Damoose moved to adopt substitute (H-1) to HB 4210. The motion prevailed
11-0-0:
FAVORABLE ROLL CALL
Yeas: Reps. Hoitenga, Damoose, Griffin, Hauck, Reilly, Wozniak, Bezotte, Coleman,
Haadsma, Aiyash, Scott.
Nays: None.
Pass: None.
Representative Aiyash offered the following amendment to HB 4210(H-1):
1. Amend page 2, following line 21, by inserting:
"Enacting section 1. Section 13b of 1905 PA 282, MCL 207.13b, is repealed." and
renumbering the remaining enacting sections.
Representative Aiyash moved to adopt the amendment to HB 4210(H-1). The motion did not
prevail 4-7-0:
UNFAVORABLE ROLL CALL
Yeas: Reps. Coleman, Haadsma, Aiyash, Scott.
Nays: Reps. Hoitenga, Damoose, Griffin, Hauck, Reilly, Wozniak, Bezotte.
Pass: None.
Representative Hauck moved to report out HB 4210 with recommendation, as substitute (H-
1). The motion prevailed 7-4-0:
FAVORABLE ROLL CALL
Yeas: Reps. Hoitenga, Damoose, Griffin, Hauck, Wozniak, Bezotte, Haadsma.
Nays: Reps. Reilly, Coleman, Aiyash, Scott.
Pass: None.
The following people submitted a card in support of SB 46 and HB 4210, but did not wish to
speak:
John Lindley, representing the Switch.
Matt Patton, representing the Detroit Regional Chamber.
The following person submitted a card in opposition to SB 46, but did not wish to speak:
Judy Allen, representing the Michigan Townships Association.
There being no further business before the committee, Chair Hoitenga adjourned the meeting
at 12:29 PM.
Representative Michele Hoitenga, Chair
Amy Rostkowycz
Committee Clerk
arostkowycz@house.mi.gov