SB 49 amends Michigan's Occupational Safety and Health Act to update key definitions and clarify enforcement responsibilities. It revises terms like "asbestos," "authorized employee representative," and "construction operations," while specifying that the Department of Labor handles safety enforcement and the Department of Public Health manages health enforcement. The bill requires these departments to annually report to legislative committees on overlapping authority and coordination efforts. This affects Michigan employers and workers, particularly in construction, agriculture, and asbestos-related industries, by updating how safety and health rules are defined and implemented.
SB 807 creates the Michigan Secure Retirement Savings Program, requiring certain employers without existing retirement plans to automatically enroll eligible employees (ages 18+ with Michigan wages) in a payroll-deducted retirement savings plan. The program establishes a separate trust fund outside the state treasury for individual retirement accounts, meeting federal IRA standards, while employers must set up payroll deductions for participation. It also creates an administrative fund to cover program costs, funded by state allocations, grants, and other sources. The law mandates automatic enrollment (with opt-out options) for employees at qualifying employers, aiming to provide low-cost, portable retirement savings for workers who lack access to employer-sponsored plans.
Senate Bill 310 establishes the tri-share child care program within the Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential, continuing a previous pilot project. It also creates a dedicated tri-share child care fund in the state treasury to support this program. The department will administer this fund, using appropriated money to oversee the program and provide funding to existing child care facilitator hubs. New hubs may also be funded if sufficient resources are available to expand coverage to more counties or serve statewide employers. This aims to support child care access for families and providers.
SB 145 prohibits Michigan employers from asking job applicants about their past wages, credit scores, or credit history during the hiring process. This directly affects job seekers by preventing employers from using this information to make hiring or compensation decisions. The bill amends Michigan's Fair Employment Practices law to explicitly ban employers from requesting or seeking such details, replacing a prior prohibition on wage history inquiries. It aims to reduce pay discrimination by ensuring compensation decisions are based on current job requirements, not past earnings or credit data. The law would apply to all employers covered under Michigan's wage and employment protections.
SB 529 prohibits paying individuals who collect signatures for election petitions a fixed amount per signature or per completed petition sheet. Instead, it requires petition circulators to be paid an hourly wage for their work. This law directly affects people employed to gather signatures for campaign petitions, nominating petitions, qualifying petitions, or recall petitions in Michigan. The bill amends Michigan's election law to ensure circulators are compensated based on time worked, not the number of signatures collected.
SB 314 allows county employees who have retired to be re-employed in a county sheriff's office without losing their retirement allowance. It directly affects retired county employees seeking to work in sheriff's offices. The bill amends Michigan's retirement law (MCL 46.12a) to remove the current restriction that would require forfeiting retirement benefits upon re-employment. This change creates a specific exception for sheriff's office positions. The bill passed the legislature on October 23, 2025, with 31 yeas, 4 nays, and 6 excused/not voting.
SB 319 amends Michigan's public employee collective bargaining law to require that minimum staffing levels within a bargaining unit become a mandatory topic for negotiation between public employers and employee representatives. This applies specifically to public employees covered under 1969 PA 312 (which includes most state and local government workers like teachers, nurses, and first responders), making staffing levels a required subject of bargaining alongside wages and hours. The bill includes a limited exception: if a public employer faces reduced state funding or property tax revenue, it may choose whether to negotiate staffing levels, but must otherwise include them in bargaining. The change directly affects public sector workplaces where employee bargaining units exist, ensuring staffing levels cannot be unilaterally set by employers without negotiation.
SB 179 is a funding bill that allocates $2.1 billion from state and federal sources to the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity for fiscal year 2025-2026. It directly supports state programs assisting workers and job seekers, including workforce development initiatives like "Going Pro" ($54.7 million) and rehabilitation services for blind individuals ($32.1 million). The bill specifies funding sources, including $1.2 billion in federal funds, and details budget allocations for department operations, training centers, and disability support programs. As an appropriations measure, it enables the department to operate existing programs but does not create new policies or regulations.
Senate Bill 34 amends Michigan's Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act to broaden the definition of "sex." For employment situations, it clarifies that "sex" includes pregnancy, lactating status, childbirth, termination of a pregnancy, or related medical conditions. For places of public accommodation and public service, the bill specifies that "sex" includes pregnancy or lactating status. This bill aims to expand civil rights protections for individuals based on these defined statuses.
SB 51 establishes the Black Leadership Advisory Council to address racial inequity in Michigan. The council, composed of 15 governor-appointed members (including representation from specific fields like health and education, an immigrant expert, and a member aged 18-35), must develop policies to eliminate discrimination in areas like housing, employment, and healthcare. It is required to identify discriminatory state laws, collaborate with the governor on equitable legislation, and submit annual reports. The council operates independently but receives department staff support, with no compensation for members beyond expense reimbursement.
