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• Introduced by Rep. Jerry Kooiman (R) on November 22, 2005, to phase in a cumulative 48-month lifetime cap on the receipt of cash welfare benefits, with exceptions for the disabled and for recipients caring for a disabled child or spouse. A month in which the regional unemployment rate exceeds 10 percent would not count toward the limit. Under current law, Michigan has no time limit for cash assistance.
  • Referred to the House Family and Childrens Services Committee on November 22, 2005.
    • Reported in the House on November 30, 2005, with the recommendation that the substitute (H-1) be adopted and that the bill then pass.
  • Substitute offered in the House on December 1, 2005, to replace the previous version of the bill with one that revises details but does not change the substance of the bill as previously described. The substitute passed in the House by voice vote on December 1, 2005.
  • Amendment offered by Rep. Marie Donigan (D) on December 1, 2005, to tie-bar the bill to a package of legislation increasing the level of hourly wage below which it unlawful to pay an employee. "Tie-bar" means this bill could not become law unless those ones does also. The amendment failed in the House (50 to 57) on December 1, 2005. [Vote Details and Comments]
  • Amendment offered by Rep. John Espinoza (D) on December 1, 2005, to increase to 52 weeks the maximum time period during which a person can collect unemployment insurance benefits. The vote was actually on the Ward motion to affirm that the amendment was not "germane" or directly related to the section of law the bill amended. The amendment failed in the House by voice vote on December 1, 2005.
    • Motion by Rep. Chris Ward (R) on December 1, 2005, to affirm that the Espinoza amendment is not "germane," or directly related to the section of law the bill amends. The Espinoza amendment would increase to 52 weeks the maximum time period during which a person can collect unemployment insurance benefits. The motion passed in the House (57 to 50) on December 1, 2005. [Vote Details and Comments]
  • Amendment offered by Rep. Brenda Clack (D) on December 1, 2005, to not move the sunset on the welfare reform law to 2015, but instead sunset it at the end of 2006. The amendment failed in the House (50 to 57) on December 1, 2005. [Vote Details and Comments]
• Passed in the House (64 to 43) on December 1, 2005. [Vote Details and Comments]
• Received in the Senate on December 6, 2005.
  • Referred to the Senate Families and Human Services Committee on December 6, 2005.
    • Reported in the Senate on December 8, 2005, with the recommendation that the bill pass.
  • Substitute offered in the Senate on December 8, 2005, to replace the previous version of the bill with one that provides additional exemptions to the 48 month lifetime limit, including ones for victims of domestic violence, and expands exemptions for those dealing with a temporary illness that prevents working. It also extends the welfare reform law to 2010, not 2015. An individual who has been meeting all the rules could apply for a one-year extension of the 48-month cash assistance limit. The substitute passed in the Senate by voice vote on December 8, 2005.
  • Amendment offered by Sen. Gilda Jacobs (D) on December 8, 2005, to give the Department of Human Services the authority to waive in certain cases the four-year cash assistance cap on able-bodies welfare recipients. The amendment failed in the Senate by voice vote on December 8, 2005.
  • Amendment offered by Sen. Gilda Jacobs (D) on December 8, 2005, to not count time a person was on welfare before passage of the proposed four-year cash assistance cap on able-bodies welfare recipients toward that four-year cap. The amendment failed in the Senate by voice vote on December 8, 2005.
  • Amendment offered by Sen. Gilda Jacobs (D) on December 8, 2005, to eliminate the tie-bars connecting this bill to the rest of the welfare reform update package, meaning those bills could go into effect even if this four-year cap bill does not. The amendment failed in the Senate by voice vote on December 8, 2005.
  • Amendment offered by Sen. Irma Clark-Coleman (D) on December 8, 2005, to clarify that the bill does not prohibit providing assistance to certain individuals who are exempt from the four-year cash benefits cap. The amendment passed in the Senate by voice vote on December 8, 2005.
  • Amendment offered by Sen. Irma Clark-Coleman (D) on December 8, 2005, to clarify that the bill does not prohibit providing assistance to certain individuals who are exempt from the four-year cash benefits cap. The amendment passed in the Senate (36 to 0) on December 8, 2005. [Vote Details and Comments]
• Passed in the Senate (24 to 12) on December 8, 2005, to phase in a cumulative 48-month lifetime cap on the receipt of cash welfare benefits, with exceptions for the disabled and for recipients caring for a disabled child or spouse. A month in which the regional unemployment rate exceeds 10 percent would not count toward the limit. Under current law, Michigan has no time limit for cash assistance. An individual who has been meeting all the rules could apply for a one-year extension of the 48-month limit. [Vote Details and Comments]
• Received in the House on December 8, 2005.
  • Substitute offered by Rep. Jerry Kooiman (R) on December 13, 2005, to replace the previous version of the bill with one that revises details but does not change the substance of the bill as previously described. The substitute passed in the House by voice vote on December 13, 2005.
  • Amendment offered by Rep. Leslie Mortimer (R) on December 13, 2005, to only extend the sunset of the bill through Fiscal Year 2009. The amendment passed in the House by voice vote on December 13, 2005.
• Passed in the House (63 to 44) on December 13, 2005, to concur with the Senate-passed version of the bill, which provides a one-year extension of the 48-month cash assistance limit in certain circumstances. [Vote Details and Comments]
• Received in the Senate on December 13, 2005.
• Passed in the Senate (23 to 14) on December 13, 2005, to concur with the House-passed version of the bill, which only extends the sunset of the these welfare changes through Fiscal Year 2009, and makes other minor changes. [Vote Details and Comments]
• Vetoed by Gov. Jennifer Granholm on December 27, 2005.