This bill requires Michigan vehicle owners to automatically pay a recreation passport fee when renewing their registration, unless they explicitly choose to decline it. The fee covers access to state parks and public boating sites, charging $10 annually for most vehicles and $5 for motorcycles, with a $20 charge for two-year registrations. Drivers can opt out by checking a specific box on the registration application or by mail, and the collected funds will be transferred to the Department of Natural Resources. The bill also mandates that registration tabs for vehicles with this fee be marked distinctly and requires an annual legislative review of the revenue generated.
This bill modifies how Michigan distributes revenue from the state recreation passport fee, which is a charge added to vehicle registration for residents who use state parks and forests. The primary change adjusts the percentage of remaining funds allocated to state parks based on how many people purchased the passport in the previous year. If fewer than 55% of eligible residents bought a passport, a larger share of the leftover money goes to capital improvements and marketing, whereas a higher participation rate directs more funds toward general park operations and maintenance. Additionally, the bill updates the fixed dollar amounts for specific accounts to automatically increase with inflation and clarifies how the state estimates potential revenue from vehicle owners who are currently exempt from the fee.
This bill modifies Michigan's criminal procedure to protect the religious rights of individuals wearing head coverings during arrest and booking. It requires law enforcement to accommodate requests from people with sincerely held religious beliefs by ensuring officers of the same sex are present when removing religious garb or taking photographs. The law mandates that booking photos be taken with the religious items on whenever possible, and if removal is necessary for identification, it must occur in a private setting with a same-sex officer present. Exceptions are made for safety reasons or when a same-sex officer is unavailable, and the bill also provides replacement religious clothing for those who are not immediately released.
This bill modifies Michigan's penal code to strengthen protections and procedures for minors involved in human trafficking cases. It establishes a legal presumption that children under 18 are coerced into sex or labor trafficking offenses, shifting the burden to the prosecution to prove otherwise if they wish to avoid this classification. The legislation also mandates that law enforcement immediately report suspected trafficking involving minors to the Department of Health and Human Services, which must then begin an investigation within 24 hours. Additionally, the bill clarifies how prior convictions affect sentencing severity and outlines specific evidence types courts can use to verify a defendant's criminal history. These changes directly impact law enforcement, prosecutors, courts, and the Department of Health and Human Services in handling cases involving child victims of trafficking.
This bill updates Michigan's laws on expunging criminal convictions by clarifying how multiple offenses are counted and adjusting the waiting periods before individuals can apply to have their records set aside. Under the new rules, crimes committed within a 24-hour window and stemming from the same incident will be treated as a single offense unless they involve assault, weapons, or carry a maximum penalty of ten years or more. The legislation also establishes specific waiting times based on the severity of the crime, ranging from three years for standard misdemeanors to seven years for serious felonies, and requires applicants to have no pending charges or new convictions during those waiting periods. Additionally, the bill mandates that expungement applications include detailed personal information, a certified record of the convictions, and a $50 processing fee paid to the state police.
This bill amends Michigan's Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act to allow honorably discharged veterans and active-duty military members free entry into state parks and public boating access sites. It requires these individuals to display a special hangtag, sticker, or form issued by the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs after their status is verified, rather than paying the standard recreation passport fee. The change applies to resident vehicles entering these locations and does not affect nonresident vehicle entry rules or other existing fee exemptions.
This bill creates a legal defense for people charged with crimes if they can prove they committed those acts because they were victims of human trafficking. Under the new rule, a defendant must show by a "preponderance of the evidence" that their criminal behavior was a direct result of being trafficked. This provision applies to both felony and misdemeanor charges and allows courts to consider the trafficking victim status as a reason for the offense. The law takes effect 90 days after it is signed into legislation.
This bill allows Michigan State Police members with 25 or more years of service to designate a special needs trust as the beneficiary of their retirement payments if they choose a payout option that continues benefits to a survivor. It updates the rules for selecting retirement payout options by permitting members to name a qualified trust instead of a family member, provided the trust meets specific federal criteria for special needs beneficiaries. The legislation also clarifies that if a retiree dies, retirement funds can be paid directly to an eligible trust to support a disabled or incapacitated beneficiary who cannot manage the money themselves. These changes apply to members who first joined the force on or after July 1, 2006, and allow them to write a formal request to the retirement board to implement these new beneficiary designations.
This bill allows cosmetology school owners to operate separate classroom locations for training students, provided these sites do not offer services to the public and lack equipment like styling chairs. To get permission, owners must submit detailed floor plans showing classroom layouts and equipment placement, and ensure all instructors have at least three years of experience. The state will issue specific licenses for these secondary facilities and conduct regular inspections to verify compliance with safety and staffing rules. If a facility is sold, transferred, or moved, the current license becomes invalid, requiring a new application to continue operations. The law also mandates that licenses and instructor credentials be displayed prominently for public viewing.
This bill requires that law enforcement disciplinary personnel records be made available to the public upon request under Michigan's Freedom of Information Act. It achieves this by explicitly removing an exemption that previously allowed agencies to withhold these records as an unwarranted invasion of privacy. Consequently, the legislation ensures that information regarding officer discipline is treated as a public record subject to disclosure, while maintaining other standard protections for sensitive investigative data and personal privacy.
This bill expands Michigan's workers' compensation rules to presume that certain heart and respiratory diseases are caused by work duties for a wider group of police, fire, and public safety employees. It specifically includes members of airport fire departments, county sheriff deputies, state police, conservation officers, and forest fire officers, alongside existing city and township personnel. Under the new provisions, these workers are automatically considered to have developed these conditions on the job unless there is clear scientific evidence that smoking or other non-work factors were the primary cause. The legislation also requires these individuals to apply for pension benefits before claiming workers' compensation for these specific illnesses.
This bill requires parents involved in child custody cases in Michigan to submit a verified statement detailing the child's living history and any related legal proceedings. Specifically, each party must disclose the child's current and past addresses, names of previous caregivers, and information about any other custody cases, domestic violence orders, or adoption proceedings that could impact the current case. The law also mandates that parties continuously update the court if new relevant legal actions arise and allows judges to pause the case if this information is not provided. Additionally, the bill includes a provision to protect sensitive information regarding health, safety, or liberty by sealing it unless a judge determines disclosure is necessary for justice.
