This Senate resolution designates May 2026 as Treatment Court Month to honor the work of treatment courts across the state and nation. The measure does not alter any laws or create new programs; instead, it serves as a formal recognition of these courts' role in helping individuals with substance use and mental health challenges. By highlighting the success of these specialized courts, the bill aims to raise public awareness about their impact on community safety and individual recovery.
Senate Bill 909 modifies Michigan's Wrongful Imprisonment Compensation Act to clarify the rules for individuals seeking financial compensation after being wrongly convicted and imprisoned. The bill updates legal definitions for terms like 'new evidence' and 'plaintiff' while establishing specific requirements for filing a compensation claim, such as proving innocence through new evidence or a gubernatorial pardon. It also introduces a process to notify victims of the original crime about compensation applications and outlines how discovery and legal arguments will proceed during these cases.
This bill proposes to increase the number of judges available in Kalamazoo County by adding one new position to both the circuit court and the district court. The changes would take effect on January 1, 2025, for the circuit court and January 1, 2027, for the district court, allowing the courts to handle more cases with additional judicial staff. By amending existing state laws, the legislation directly impacts the judicial structure of the ninth judicial circuit and the eighth district within Kalamazoo County.
HB 5963 modifies Michigan's laws to clarify and strengthen exemptions from civil arrest for specific groups of people. The bill protects legislators, women, minors under 16, attorneys, witnesses, jurors, and individuals traveling to or from criminal proceedings in other states from being arrested on civil matters while performing their duties or traveling. It also states that any civil arrest made against these protected individuals is automatically invalid and allows courts to release them immediately.
This Michigan bill requires law enforcement agencies to obtain written parental consent before using minors under 18 as confidential informants or active participants in law enforcement activities. The law defines specific types of law enforcement agencies covered, including state police, local police departments, and university police, while excluding individuals who voluntarily report crimes without being recontacted for additional information. Parents or legal guardians can seek court orders to stop agencies from using their children in these roles if consent requirements are not met, and the bill mandates that agencies pay court costs and attorney fees along with damages ranging from $500 to $1,000 if they violate the consent provision. The legislation does not apply to minors who are legally emancipated under existing state law.
This bill would add a new section to Michigan's civil procedure laws that allows the state attorney general and private individuals to sue firearm industry members for creating or maintaining a public nuisance through the sale, manufacture, or marketing of firearms and related products. The legislation requires these companies to establish reasonable controls over their products to prevent sales to prohibited persons, prevent theft, and stop the installation of devices like pistol converters, without needing to prove the company intended to cause harm. If a company violates these requirements, the attorney general can seek injunctions, damages, and other relief, while private victims of harm can also file lawsuits for compensatory and punitive damages. The bill defines firearm industry members broadly to include sellers, manufacturers, and distributors, and explicitly includes 3D printers and other manufacturing equipment in its scope.
HB 5511 would allow courts to delay officially recording a conviction (entry of judgment) until sentencing occurs, under specific conditions. This applies when the prosecutor agrees after consulting the victim, and either the court finds good cause to delay or the defendant enters a specialty rehabilitation program. The bill does not apply to certain traffic offenses involving vehicle operation (even if felony/misdemeanor) or convictions already eligible for delayed sentencing under other laws. The delay mechanism aims to support rehabilitation efforts while ensuring victims are consulted, but the bill requires another related bill (HB 5510) to pass first.
HB 5510 allows Michigan courts to delay final sentencing for up to one year (or longer for specific cases) for certain non-violent offenses, giving defendants time to participate in rehabilitation programs like drug court. It requires courts to collect supervision fees ($30-$60 per month, depending on electronic monitoring) during the delay period, with maximum limits of 12 months for most cases or 60 months for child support violations. The bill exempts juveniles in specific cases and permits courts to waive fees for indigent defendants. This modifies existing sentencing procedures to prioritize rehabilitation while adding structured financial obligations during the delay.
HB 5492, the "regulating automatic license plate readers act," sets rules for private entities operating automatic license plate reader (ALPR) systems, requiring them to preserve captured license plate data for 14 days when law enforcement or a criminal defendant requests it with a specific written statement. The bill prohibits using the data as evidence in court if disclosure would violate the act, mandates data destruction after 14 days if not used, and allows individuals to sue for violations and recover at least $1,000 in damages or actual damages plus legal fees. Vehicle owners' data is protected from public disclosure without consent, except under a court order or warrant, and cannot be accessed by law enforcement without a warrant or specific preservation request.
HB 5120 eliminates fees for serving documents in personal protection order (PPO) cases. It amends Michigan's civil procedure law to prohibit charging fees for serving process under the Extreme Risk Protection Order Act or for any order issued in a PPO case, including petitions, orders, and related documents. This directly affects PPO petitioners (who no longer pay service fees) and process servers (who cannot charge for these specific services). The bill also clarifies that law enforcement may charge a $50 flat fee from a dedicated fund for multiple PPO-related documents served at once, but not per document. The change aims to remove financial barriers for individuals seeking protection orders.
