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House committee adopts H-3 substitute for HB 4427 narrowing 'brown alert' trigger; reports bill out of committee
Summary
The Michigan House Committee on Natural Resources and Tourism voted unanimously to adopt an H‑3 substitute to House Bill 4427, limiting issuance of a "brown alert" for dangerous E. coli to events caused by sewage discharges from combined or sanitary sewer overflows, and then voted to report the bill to the full House.
The Michigan House Committee on Natural Resources and Tourism adopted an H‑3 substitute to House Bill 4427 and voted to report the bill to the full House on a unanimous voice/role call during the committee's meeting.
The substitute, as read into the record by Representative Saint Germain, narrows when a "brown alert" may be issued: only when dangerous levels of E. coli are detected as a result of a discharge from a combined sewage overflow or a sanitary sewer overflow. The substitute also defines "dangerous levels of E. coli" as the level considered dangerous for swimming, or 300 E. coli per 100 milliliters.
The change was moved by Representative Saint Germain. On the motion to adopt the H‑3 substitute the clerk recorded 14 yays, 0 nays and 0 passes; the clerk announced that the motion "does prevail." The same tally was recorded when Rep. Saint Germain moved to report the bill as H‑3 substitute; the clerk again announced 14 yays, 0 nays and 0 passes and that the motion prevailed.
Why it matters: the H‑3 substitute limits the circumstances under which state-issued "brown alerts" — warnings typically aimed at recreational water users — can be declared. By tying the alert specifically to sewage overflow discharges, the substitute narrows the statutory trigger compared with broader detection-based language.
Details from committee proceedings: committee members present during the roll call included Chair Martin and Representatives Saint Germain, VanderWall, Altman, Hoadley, Johnson, Preston, Bonack, Fairbairn, Wirtz, McFall, Scott, Weiss, Arbit, Foreman, Myers‑Phillips and Wooden (the clerk recorded each name in sequence during the role call). The committee secretary read in letters of support submitted for the bill, including written support from the Huron River Watershed Council and the Michigan Environmental Council; those signatories were listed on the committee record as not wishing to speak.
No amendments to the H‑3 substitute were recorded during the committee meeting. Committee members did not vote on any additional changes at the hearing. The transcript shows the committee approved both the substitute and the motion to report the bill by unanimous recorded consent.
Next steps: with the committee report issued, House Bill 4427 (as H‑3 substitute) will proceed to the next steps in the House process; the committee did not specify dates for further action in the hearing record.
Votes at a glance: Substitute H‑3 to House Bill 4427 — Adopted by committee, recorded tally 14–0–0 (yes–no–pass); Motion to report HB 4427 (H‑3) to the House — Passed by committee, recorded tally 14–0–0 (yes–no–pass).
