House Bill 4398, sponsored by Rep. Kevin Elsenheimer (R-Bellaire), has received final approval of both the House and Senate and awaited the signature of Governor Jennifer Granholm as the Michigan Environmental Report went to press. Commonly called the "zoning enabling act," the legislation will unify the three separate state zoning enabling acts into one act that applies to cities/villages, townships and counties.

While not impacting any specific authority currently in law, the new act will increase the opportunity for important cross-jurisdictional, coordinated land use planning by creating a more consistent and simpler authority for land use decision-making processes. The change also reflects recommendations made by the Michigan Land Use Leadership Council in 2003.

Senate Bill 683, sponsored by Sen. Patty Birkholz (R-Saugatuck), similarly seeks to consolidate the planning acts into one act called the "planning enabling act." This bill is being analyzed and revised through an intensive workgroup phase that brings together stakeholders from across the state, including the Michigan Association of Homebuilders, the Michigan Association of Planning, MEC and others.

Currently, more than 1,800 local units of government have land use decision-making power in the state, and they are enabled under three different zoning acts and three different planning acts (one of each for cities/villages, townships and counties).