Act No. 478

Public Acts of 2000

Approved by the Governor

January 10, 2001

Filed with the Secretary of State

January 11, 2001

EFFECTIVE DATE: January 11, 2001

STATE OF MICHIGAN

90TH LEGISLATURE

REGULAR SESSION OF 2000

Introduced by Reps. Caul, Hart, Patterson, Geiger, Howell, DeVuyst, Rocca, Pappageorge, Middaugh, Birkholz, Kukuk, Garcia, Allen, Stamas, Ehardt, Toy, DeRossett and Hardman

ENROLLED HOUSE BILL No. 6063

AN ACT to amend 1939 PA 280, entitled "An act to protect the welfare of the people of this state; to provide general assistance, hospitalization, infirmary and medical care to poor or unfortunate persons; to provide for compliance by this state with the social security act; to provide protection, welfare and services to aged persons, dependent children, the blind, and the permanently and totally disabled; to administer programs and services for the prevention and treatment of delinquency, dependency and neglect of children; to create a state department of social services; to prescribe the powers and duties of the department; to provide for the interstate and intercounty transfer of dependents; to create county and district departments of social services; to create within certain county departments, bureaus of social aid and certain divisions and offices thereunder; to prescribe the powers and duties of the departments, bureaus and officers; to provide for appeals in certain cases; to prescribe the powers and duties of the state department with respect to county and district departments; to prescribe certain duties of certain other state departments, officers, and agencies; to make an appropriation; to prescribe penalties for the violation of the provisions of this act; and to repeal certain parts of this act on specific dates," (MCL 400.1 to 400.119b) by adding section 57i.

The People of the State of Michigan enact:

Sec. 57i. (1) If a landlord or provider of housing participates in the family independence agency rent vendoring program, the landlord shall certify that the dwelling unit being provided meets all of the following requirements:

(a) The dwelling unit does not have a condition that would facilitate the spread of a communicable disease. As used in this subdivision, "communicable disease" means that term as defined in section 5101 of the public health code, 1978 PA 368, MCL 333.5101.

(b) The dwelling unit is fit for human habitation.

(c) The dwelling unit is not dangerous to life or health due to lack of repair of, a defect in, or the construction of a drainage source or device, plumbing, lighting, ventilation, or a heating source or device.

(2) If the family independence agency is notified by an enforcing agency that a landlord or provider of housing has a violation of a housing code that constitutes a hazard to the health or safety of the occupants, the family independence agency shall terminate that landlord's or provider's participation in the rent vendoring program for the dwelling unit until the violation is corrected.

(3) A landlord or provider of housing shall not evict an occupant from a dwelling unit based solely on termination of the landlord's or provider's participation in the rent vendoring program due to action taken by the family independence agency under subsection (2). An occupant who is evicted in violation of this subsection may bring an action in any court having jurisdiction to recover treble damages, costs of the action, and reasonable attorney fees.

This act is ordered to take immediate effect.

Clerk of the House of Representatives.

Secretary of the Senate.

Approved

Governor.