HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
COMMITTEE ON FAMILIES AND VETERANS
REP. KATHY SCHMALTZ
CHAIR
COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES
Tuesday, April 21, 2026
Noon.
Room 307, House Office
Building
The House Committee on Families and Veterans was called to order by Chair Schmaltz.
The Chair requested attendance to be called:
Present: Reps. Schmaltz, Wozniak, Fox, Johnsen, Thompson, Pavlov, Woolford, Young,
Byrnes, Rheingans and Xiong.
Absent: None.
Excused: None.
Representative Young moved to adopt the meeting minutes from April 14, 2026. There being no
objection, the motion prevailed with unanimous consent.
At 12:06 PM, the Chair laid the committee at ease.
At 12:06 PM, Majority Vice Chair Wozniak called the committee back to order.
The Majority Vice Chair laid HB 5739 and HB 5740 before the committee:
HB 5739
(Rep. DeBoyer)
A bill to amend 1998 PA 386, entitled "Estates
and protected individuals code," by amending
sections 5410 and 5423 (MCL 700.5410 and
700.5423), as amended by 2012 PA 173.
HB 5740
(Rep. Schmaltz)
A bill to amend 1998 PA 386, entitled "Estates
and protected individuals code," by amending
sections 5106, 5314, and 5319 (MCL
700.5106, 700.5314, and 700.5319), section
5106 as amended by 2017 PA 136, section
5314 as amended by 2024 PA 1, and section
5319 as added by 2012 PA 173.
Representative DeBoyer and Representative Schmaltz testified together in support of HB 5739 &
HB 5740. Questions and discussion followed.
At 12:20 PM, Majority Vice Chair Wozniak laid the committee at ease.
At 12:21 PM, the Chair called the committee back to order.
Jennifer Warnos and Brooke Gow, representing the Michigan Guardianship Association, testified
together in support of HB 5739 and HB 5740. Questions and discussion followed.
Roslund Harris, representing herself, testified with a neutral position on HB 5739.
Cynthia Mifsud, representing her mother Betty Hayes and Judicial Probate Integrity, testified in
opposition to HB 5739 and HB 5740.
Tom Howe, representing himself, testified with a neutral position on HB 5739 and HB 5740.
The following people submitted a card in support of HB 5739 and HB 5740, but did not wish to
speak:
Alan Bolter, representing Community Mental Health Association of Michigan.
Charlene Distler, representing Probate Support Specialists.
The following person submitted a card wishing to speak in support of HB 5740, but did not wish to
speak:
Jason Lachowski, representing AARP Michigan.
The Chair laid HB 5456 and HB 5457 before the committee:
HB 5456
(Rep. Schmaltz)
A bill to create a hyperbaric oxygen therapy
grant program and pilot program for providing
treatment to veterans with traumatic brain
injuries or post-traumatic stress disorder; to
provide for the powers and duties of certain
state governmental officers and entities; and to
require the promulgation of rules.
HB 5457
(Rep. Schmaltz)
A bill to create a hyperbaric oxygen therapy
fund; and to provide for the administration of
and distributions from the fund.
A substitute (H-1) for HB 5456 was adopted at the April 14, 2026, meeting.
The following person submitted a card wishing to speak in support of HB 5456 and HB 5457, but
due to the time constraints were unable to speak:
Derek Blumke, representing the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Representative Fox moved to report out HB 5456 with recommendation that the substitute (H-1)
be adopted and the bill then pass. The committee further recommended that the bill and substitutes
be referred to the Committee on Rules. The motion prevailed 7-1-3:
FAVORABLE ROLL CALL
Yeas: Reps. Schmaltz, Wozniak, Fox, Johnsen, Thompson, Pavlov and Woolford.
Nays: Rep. Rheingans.
Pass: Reps. Young, Byrnes and Xiong.
Representative Woolford moved to report out HB 5457 with recommendation. The motion
prevailed 7-0-4:
FAVORABLE ROLL CALL
Yeas: Reps. Schmaltz, Wozniak, Fox, Johnsen, Thompson, Pavlov and Woolford.
Nays: None.
Pass: Reps. Young, Byrnes, Rheingans and Xiong.
There being no further business before the committee, Chair Schmaltz adjourned the meeting at
12:54 PM.
Representative Kathy Schmaltz, Chair
Brittany Middaugh
Committee Clerk
bmiddaugh@house.mi.gov