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Committee backs bill to remove duplicate health-license fees for blind concession operators
Summary
The House Agriculture Committee recommended Senate Bill 986 to exempt legally blind concessionaires from duplicate local or MDARD health-licensing fees, with supporters saying state bureau oversight and frequent inspections make separate fees unnecessary.
LANSING — The House Committee on Agriculture recommended Senate Bill 986 on Nov. 13, which would exempt legally blind concession operators licensed under Michigan’s Business Enterprise Program from paying duplicate health‑licensing fees to local health departments or the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD).
Remi Gelderloos, deputy chief of staff for Sen. Sarah Anthony, said the bill would “eliminate duplicative regulatory framework, as well as unnecessary fees for legally blind business owners” who operate concessions on state and federal properties, allowing them clearer pathways to economic opportunity.
James Hall of the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity’s Bureau of Services for Blind Persons testified that the bureau already provides frequent, statutory oversight: promotional agents meet with licensees every six weeks to review sanitation and required certifications. He said that local health departments and MDARD inspect less frequently — “every 6 to 18 months” depending on operation — and that the bureau’s higher inspection cadence reduces the need for a separate health‑license fee.
Hall told the committee the program supports blind entrepreneurs with training, equipment and initial inventory; licensees return 10% of net proceeds to sustain the program. He estimated the program pays about $14,000 annually in health licensing for roughly 40 licensees, or about $500 per licensee — an amount he said can be significant given tight margins in food service.
Ben Plock, an operator in the program for 21 years and chair of the Elected Operators Committee, said promotional agents’ frequent contact with facility managers helps resolve issues quickly and that promotional agents are ServSafe certified.
Committee members asked whether the bureau would report annually to MDARD or local departments. Hall said the bureau had not settled on reporting details but that an MOU with MDARD would require MDARD to lead any foodborne‑illness investigations to ensure outside expertise in outbreak response.
Representative Bridal Gens moved to recommend the bill out of committee; the clerk called the roll and the motion prevailed. The committee recorded the result as "12 yays, 0 nays, 0 pass." The bill now moves to the next step in the legislative process.
What happens next: The recommendation sends SB 986 to the House floor or the appropriate committee calendar for scheduling; no implementation timeline was set in committee testimony.
