HB 4277 Michigan House · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Health: licensing; questions pertaining to mental health; remove from application for licensure and registration. Amends sec. 16177 of 1978 PA 368 (MCL 333.16177).

HB 4277 amends Michigan's health licensing law to remove all questions about applicants' mental health from license applications, except for two specific questions already required: whether an applicant poses a risk to patient safety and whether they can perform essential job functions. This change affects health professionals seeking initial licensure or renewal, including doctors, dentists, and nurses. The bill prohibits the department from including any additional mental health inquiries on application forms. It directly simplifies the licensing process by limiting mental health disclosures to the two existing questions.

Issues: ✓ Healthcare

Bill status passed both 4 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Mar 2025

Committee Review

Jan 2026

House Passage

Dec 2025

Senate Passage

Jan 2026

Governor

Introduced Mar 20, 2025 Last action Jan 14, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

House Introduced Bill → As Passed by the House · 5 edits · Dec 17, 2025

MODERATE

This bill amends the Michigan Public Health Code to update requirements for health professional licensure applications. The changes primarily involve clarifying how Social Security numbers are handled on applications and licenses, updating the list of information applicants must disclose about criminal convictions and out-of-state sanctions, and renumbering subsections to fix a numbering error. These changes aim to streamline the licensure process while maintaining public safety standards.

Scope change

The bill applies to all individuals seeking licensure or registration under the Public Health Code, including physicians, osteopathic physicians, dentists, podiatrists, and other health professionals.

REQUIREMENT

Clarified that applicants must include their Social Security number on application forms, but the department cannot display it on licenses or certificates of registration.

Updated disclosure requirements for criminal convictions to include misdemeanor convictions involving alcohol or controlled substances, and clarified reporting of out-of-state sanctions.

Added podiatrists to the list of health professionals who must report hospital employment and practice locations.

Maintained requirements for applicants to answer questions about potential patient safety risks and ability to perform essential job functions.

TECHNICAL

Fixed subsection numbering errors throughout the bill, renumbering subsection (5) as (7) and adding proper subsection (5) content.

Floor votes · House Dec 17, 2025

How they voted

This bill passed the Senate by voice vote (no roll call recorded).

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Jan 14, 2026

Committee

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH POLICY

upper

Jan 14, 2026

Upper · Passed

PASSED BY HOUSE WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT

upper

Dec 17, 2025

Lower · Passed

passed; given immediate effect Roll Call #347 Yeas 99 Nays 4 Excused 0 Not Voting 7

lower

Jun 4, 2025

Committee

referred to second reading

lower

Jun 4, 2025

Lower · Passed

reported with recommendation without amendment

lower

Mar 20, 2025

Committee

referred to Committee on Health Policy

lower

Mar 20, 2025

Introduced

introduced by Representative Rep. Matthew Bierlein

lower

1 primary · 7 co-sponsors