Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Committee advances bill to align Court of Claims deadlines with other statutes
Loading...
Summary
House Bill 5939 was reported with recommendation after testimony that the bill would restore statutory certainty about filing deadlines following a Michigan Supreme Court decision that changed how certain state‑claim deadlines are applied.
The committee advanced House Bill 5939, a measure that would amend the Court of Claims Act (MCL 600.6431) to eliminate confusion about when claims against the state must be filed. Attorney Jennifer McManus told the committee the bill restores consistency between the Court of Claims Act and other statutes, such as the Elliott Larson Civil Rights Act, after the Michigan Supreme Court’s Christy decision shortened the practical filing window for claims against the state.
McManus said the Christie decision has caused otherwise eligible claimants to miss filing deadlines because they relied on statutory limitations in other acts; she cited examples of clients who believed they had a three‑year window under Elliott Larson but were barred because the Court of Claims Act’s one‑year notice requirement applied to state claims. Committee members asked whether the bill expands state liability and requested data on how many cases have been dismissed; McManus offered to help gather records for the committee.
After questions, the committee voted to report HB 5939 with recommendation; the clerk recorded the roll‑call tally in the transcript.
