---
type: "Bill"
title: "Civil procedure: defenses; presumption in action involving certain utility easements; enact, and limit damages recoverable. Amends 1961 PA 236 (MCL 600.101 - 600.9947) by adding sec. 2979. TIE BAR WITH: HB 5266'19"
description: "Civil procedure: defenses; presumption in action involving certain utility easements; enact, and limit damages recoverable. Amends 1961 PA 236 (MCL 600.101 - 600.9947) by adding sec. 2979. TIE BAR WITH: HB 5266'19"
jurisdiction: "us/states/mi"
legislature: "Michigan Legislature"
session: "2019-2020"
identifier: "HB 4266"
citation: "Michigan HB 4266 (2019-2020)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Civil procedure: defenses", "Businesses: cooperatives", "Civil procedure: civil actions", "Civil procedure: remedies", "Energy: electricity", "Property: ownership interests", "Property: other"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: []
version_count: 5
action_count: 28
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2019-02-26T05:00:00+00:00"
last_action: "2020-03-10T04:00:00+00:00"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/8dac3b5d-4020-4c62-81ea-459205544463"
source_url: "http://legislature.mi.gov/doc.aspx?2019-HB-4266"
source_hash: "bc45413ef2ad0367ff34cdf45b6d1dd410616ec059956a8b4b7fe72b887123f4"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-mi"]
---

# Michigan HB 4266 (2019-2020) — Civil procedure: defenses; presumption in action involving certain utility easements; enact, and limit damages recoverable. Amends 1961 PA 236 (MCL 600.101 - 600.9947) by adding sec. 2979. TIE BAR WITH: HB 5266'19

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **As Passed by the House** (committee substitute) — [source](http://legislature.mi.gov/documents/2019-2020/billengrossed/House/htm/2019-HEBH-4266.htm)
2. **As Passed by the Senate** (committee substitute) — [source](http://legislature.mi.gov/documents/2019-2020/billengrossed/House/htm/2019-HEBS-4266.htm)
3. **House Concurred Bill** (committee substitute) — [source](http://legislature.mi.gov/documents/2019-2020/billconcurred/House/htm/2019-HCB-4266.htm)
4. **House Introduced Bill** (committee substitute) — [source](http://legislature.mi.gov/documents/2019-2020/billintroduced/House/htm/2019-HIB-4266.htm)
5. **Public Act** (committee substitute) — [source](http://legislature.mi.gov/documents/2019-2020/publicact/htm/2020-PA-0060.htm)

## Votes

- PASSED; GIVEN IMMEDIATE EFFECT ROLL CALL # 91 YEAS 37 NAYS 0 EXCUSED 1 NOT VOTING 0 — **37–0** (pass) · upper
- passed; given immediate effect Roll Call # 31 Yeas 105 Nays 1 Excused 0 Not Voting 3 — **105–1** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Aaron Miller — cosponsor (person)
- Daire Rendon — cosponsor (person)
- Jack O'Malley — cosponsor (person)
- James Lower — cosponsor (person)
- Julie Calley — cosponsor (person)
- Larry Inman — cosponsor (person)
- Mary Whiteford — cosponsor (person)
- Mike Mueller — cosponsor (person)
- Pauline Wendzel — cosponsor (person)
- Phil Green — cosponsor (person)
- Roger Hauck — cosponsor (person)
- Scott VanSingel — cosponsor (person)
- Sue Allor — cosponsor (person)
- Triston Cole — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2019-02-26T05:00:00+00:00** introduced by Representative Triston Cole `introduction`
- **2019-02-26T05:00:00+00:00** read a first time `reading-1`
- **2019-02-26T05:00:00+00:00** referred to Committee on Communications and Technology `referral-committee`
- **2019-02-26T05:00:00+00:00** bill electronically reproduced 02/26/2019
- **2019-12-11T05:00:00+00:00** referred to Committee on Ways and Means, with substitute (H-2) `referral-committee`
- **2020-01-15T05:00:00+00:00** reported with recommendation with substitute (H-2) `committee-passage`
- **2020-01-15T05:00:00+00:00** referred to second reading
- **2020-01-21T05:00:00+00:00** read a second time `reading-2`
- **2020-01-21T05:00:00+00:00** substitute (H-2) adopted
- **2020-01-21T05:00:00+00:00** placed on third reading
- **2020-01-22T05:00:00+00:00** read a third time `reading-3`
- **2020-01-22T05:00:00+00:00** passed; given immediate effect Roll Call # 31 Yeas 105 Nays 1 Excused 0 Not Voting 3 `passage`
- **2020-01-22T05:00:00+00:00** transmitted
- **2020-01-23T05:00:00+00:00** REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND TECHNOLOGY `referral-committee`
- **2020-02-19T05:00:00+00:00** REPORTED FAVORABLY WITHOUT AMENDMENT `committee-passage`
- **2020-02-19T05:00:00+00:00** COMMITTEE RECOMMENDED IMMEDIATE EFFECT
- **2020-02-19T05:00:00+00:00** REFERRED TO COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE `referral-committee`
- **2020-02-26T05:00:00+00:00** REPORTED BY COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE FAVORABLY WITHOUT AMENDMENT(S) `committee-passage`
- **2020-02-26T05:00:00+00:00** PLACED ON ORDER OF THIRD READING
- **2020-02-27T05:00:00+00:00** PASSED; GIVEN IMMEDIATE EFFECT ROLL CALL # 91 YEAS 37 NAYS 0 EXCUSED 1 NOT VOTING 0 `passage`
- **2020-02-27T05:00:00+00:00** INSERTED FULL TITLE
- **2020-02-27T05:00:00+00:00** returned from Senate without amendment with immediate effect and full title
- **2020-02-27T05:00:00+00:00** full title agreed to
- **2020-02-27T05:00:00+00:00** bill ordered enrolled
- **2020-03-03T05:00:00+00:00** presented to the Governor 03/02/2020 09:30 AM `executive-receipt`
- **2020-03-10T04:00:00+00:00** approved by the Governor 03/10/2020 01:46 PM `executive-signature`
- **2020-03-10T04:00:00+00:00** filed with Secretary of State 03/10/2020 02:18 PM
- **2020-03-10T04:00:00+00:00** assigned PA 60'20 with immediate effect

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/8dac3b5d-4020-4c62-81ea-459205544463`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Michigan legislature records).