HOUSE BILL NO. 4500

A bill to amend 1978 PA 368, entitled

"Public health code,"

(MCL 333.1101 to 333.25211) by adding sections 5753, 5755, 5757, 5759, and 5761 to part 57A.

the people of the state of michigan enact:

Sec. 5753. (1) The department shall establish and administer a grant program to provide 1 or more grants to a research institution to conduct a pilot program to assess the level of PFAS in the blood of and study the effects of PFAS on qualified study participants in this state.

(2) An application for a grant to conduct the pilot program under this part must be made on a form or in a format prescribed by the department. The department may require an applicant to provide information reasonably necessary to allow the department to make a determination required under this part. The director shall have final approval of a grant made under this part and the director shall only approve a grant if money is available in the fund.

(3) Not later than 90 days after the effective date of the amendatory act that added this section, the department shall select 1 research institution to conduct the pilot program from the applications received under subsection (2). To be awarded a grant to conduct the pilot program, a research institution shall comply with all of the following:

(a) Provide the department with a detailed summary of the proposed pilot program, including the goals and objectives of the proposed pilot program and a full explanation of the proposed pilot program and how the program will be conducted.

(b) Demonstrate all of the following to the department:

(i) That the research institution conducts research and studies related to public health.

(ii) That the research institution is considered an R1 doctoral university by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, indicating very high research activity at the research institution.

(iii) That the proposed pilot program is approved by the applicable institutional review board of the research institution.

(c) Agree to comply with all of the following as a condition of receiving a grant under this part for the pilot program:

(i) That the research institution will obtain the informed consent of a qualified study participant or, if the qualified study participant is a minor, the informed consent of the parent, guardian, or person in loco parentis of the qualified study participant, to participate in the pilot program. The consent required under this subparagraph must inform the qualified study participant, or if the qualified study participant is a minor, the parent, guardian, or person in loco parentis of the qualified study participant, that the department and the research institution may only retain and use the data collected from a blood sample analyzed under this part for research under the pilot program with the consent of the qualified study participant or, if the qualified study participant is a minor, the consent of the parent, guardian, or person in loco parentis of the qualified study participant.

(ii) That the research institution will require the qualified study participant to use a hospital reference laboratory to collect blood for a full blood panel test to ensure that a sufficient sample of blood is obtained by a qualified study participant for PFAS testing.

(iii) That the research institution will require the hospital reference laboratory to send the specimen described in subparagraph (ii) to a state testing laboratory for analysis.

(iv) That the research institution will coordinate with the department on the operation of the pilot program.

(4) The pilot program shall conclude not later than 5 years after the date an eligible research institution is selected by the department under this section.

(5) The department shall do both of the following:

(a) Beginning 1 year after the effective date of the amendatory act that added this part and by July 1 of each year thereafter, submit a written report on the pilot program to the standing committees in the senate and house of representatives with jurisdiction over issues pertaining to public health. The report must include, but is not limited to, the number of subjects tested and the number of grants awarded to the eligible research institution.

(b) After the conclusion of the pilot program, submit a written report to the standing committees in the senate and house of representatives with jurisdiction over issues pertaining to public health. The report must summarize the impact and effectiveness of the pilot program and include any recommendations on PFAS-related legislation.

Sec. 5755. A primary care physician who determines that an individual may be a qualified study participant may do both of the following:

(a) Inform the individual or, if the individual is a minor, the parent, guardian, or person in loco parentis of the individual, that the individual may be eligible to participate in the pilot program.

(b) Refer the individual to the eligible research institution to receive more information on the pilot program.

Sec. 5757. The department, in consultation with the eligible research institution and the Michigan PFAS action response team, shall develop and publish a pamphlet that provides educational material regarding PFAS.

Sec. 5759. (1) The PFAS pilot program fund is created in the state treasury.

(2) The state treasurer shall deposit money and other assets received from any source in the fund. The state treasurer shall direct the investment of money in the fund and credit interest and earnings from the investments to the fund.

(3) The department is the administrator of the fund for audits of the fund.

(4) The department shall expend money from the fund on appropriation, only for 1 or more of the following purposes:

(a) To award a grant to a research institution to conduct the pilot program.

(b) To reimburse the department for the cost to a state testing laboratory in conducting a full blood panel test for a qualified study participant under this part. The reimbursement must not exceed the amount necessary to fund the testing service provided and must not be greater than a reasonable fee established under section 9601 for similar testing services.

(c) To develop and publish the pamphlet described in section 5757.

Sec. 5761. The department may promulgate rules to implement this part.

Enacting section 1. This amendatory act does not take effect unless Senate Bill No. ___ (request no. S00870'25) or House Bill No. 4499 (request no. H00870'25) of the 103rd Legislature is enacted into law.