School counselors must now dedicate 50 hours of the current 150-hour professional development requirement on coursework and program instruction to better assist students with college preparation and career selection under legislation signed Wednesday by Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder.
“Equipping students with the tools and resources they need to decide on a career path and finding the right avenue to get them there is critically important for long-term success,” Snyder said. “This bill helps school counselors better serve students by expanding the focus on the diverse career and educational options that are available.”
House Bill 4181, sponsored by state Rep. Brett Roberts, requires school counselors to devote 50 of their currently required 150 hours of professional development to improving the college preparation and selection process (25 hours) and on career counseling (25 hours). Career counseling includes, but is not limited to, exploration of military career options, professional trades, and other technical or occupational careers requiring post-secondary industry-specific credentials. The updated requirements will apply to individuals renewing their school counselor credentials two years after the effective date of January 2018. It is now Public Act 151 of 2017.
Snyder also signed six additional bills:
• House Bills 4547 and 4548, sponsored by state Reps. Klint Kesto and Patrick Green, respectively, amend the Michigan Vehicle Code of Criminal Procedure to extend the date that the blood alcohol content (BAC) related to operating a vehicle while intoxicated must remain at 0.08 until October 1, 2021. Under previous law, the BAC would revert back to 0.10 on October 1, 2018. The bills are now Public Acts 152-153 of 2017.
• HBs 4170, 4171, 4173 and 4174, sponsored by state Reps. Jim Tedder, Laura Cox, Hank Vaupel and Leslie Love, respectively, make amendments to the Michigan Public Health Code. HB 4170 creates the Physician Orders for a Scope of Treatment (POST) Form, which will serve as an advance care planning tool for patients. The bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services to establish a committee to determine the content of the POST form, rules and a follow up committee. HB 4171 permits a guardian to execute, reaffirm and revoke a POST form, under certain conditions. HB 4173 requires an adult foster care facility to comply with a POST form. If the facility is unable or unwilling to comply they must make every reasonable effort to refer or transfer the patient to another adult foster care facility. HB 4174 outlines that if a health professional has notice of a do-not-resuscitate order and is aware of a POST form that contained a medical order in regard to the initiation of resuscitation, the health profession would have to comply with the most recent order or form. The measures are now Public Acts 154-157 of 2017.
For additional information on this and other legislation, visit www.legislature.mi.gov.
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