LANSING, Mich., March 5, 2026 — State Reps. Joey Andrews (D-St. Joseph), Dave Prestin (R-Cedar River), and Phil Green (R-Millington) introduced bipartisan legislation this week to establish clearer legal protections and strengthen driver accountability when road workers are performing their duties in the roadway. The legislative package was introduced in response to the tragic death of William “Mack” Isom, an employee of the Berrien County Road Department. On July 20, 2022, Mack was clearing a fallen tree blocking both lanes of Red Bud Trail in Oronoko Township when he was struck and killed by a speeding drunk driver. Despite the circumstances surrounding his death, the prosecutor’s office was unable to bring charges under Andy’s Law because the location did not qualify as a marked work zone. Tree removal and other hazard response work is often carried out quickly and without extensive signage, which exposes gaps in the current definition of a work zone and limits the legal protections available to road workers.

The legislative package includes three bills that address these discrepancies strengthening protections for road workers:

  • HB 5702 (Rep. Andrews): Amends the definition of a “work zone” to encompass any road work, including the removal of hazards from a street or highway. The bill further provides that a stationary vehicle or piece of equipment marked by a road triangle, flare, cone, or rotating beacon or strobe light is sufficient to establish a work zone. This standard is intended to give drivers a clear and consistent indication that road work is underway.
  •  HB 5703 (Rep. Green): Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure to include a moving violation causing the death of another person in a work zone, a school bus zone, or to a road worker actively performing road work. By establishing a clearer standard of knowledge and explicitly extending protections to road workers, this bill seeks to improve driver awareness and accountability when approaching stationary vehicles or active work areas.
  •  HB 5704 (Rep. Prestin): Drawing from Senate Bill 779 (2024), this bill establishes a uniform standard for safely passing stationary vehicles when appropriate warning is present. It requires drivers to exercise due care when approaching any stationary vehicle displaying flashing, rotating, or oscillating red, blue, white, amber, or green lights, or utilizing front and rear warning lamps. Violations would be subject to a civil penalty.

“These are straightforward bills that better protect our road workers,” Andrews said. “My bill expands the definition of ‘work zone’ to ensure workers performing essential duties, such as hazard removal or emergency roadway maintenance, receive equal protection under the law. This package is essential to make our roads safer for workers and drivers alike. Every person working on Michigan’s roads should be able to focus on their job without worrying about their safety. Clearer standards give drivers a consistent signal that work is occurring and are a simple step toward safer working conditions for those keeping our roads open and safe. The death of William ‘Mack’ Isom tragically showed why stronger protections for road workers are urgently needed.”

“Every day, workers across the U.P. put their safety at risk to keep our roads safe and functional,” Prestin said. “Tragically, too many drivers fail to slow down, move over, or exercise basic caution around work zones, stationary equipment, or emergency vehicles. Last October, we lost Jack Rantanen, and the devastation his loss has brought to his family and friends has rippled through our Upper Peninsula community. This package of bills strengthens protections for workers by clarifying what constitutes a work zone, explicitly including road workers in enhanced penalties for violations causing death and establishing uniform standards for safely passing vehicles with proper warning signals. These commonsense measures will boost driver awareness, increase accountability, and help save lives.”

“This legislation is about one simple, non-negotiable principle: every worker deserves to come home at the end of the day,” said Douglas W. Stockwell, Operating Engineers 324 Business Manager. “On behalf of the nearly 16,000 members of Operating Engineers 324 — and the tens of thousands of other skilled construction and road workers across Michigan who will benefit from these protections — we strongly support this bipartisan package to strengthen work zone safety laws. We honor the memory of our brother, William ‘Mack’ Isom, whose tragic and preventable death exposed a gap in the law that must be closed so no other family has to endure the same loss. Safety is everything to our organization; whether clearing a fallen tree or rebuilding a highway, our members put themselves in harm’s way to serve their communities, and they deserve clear legal protections and driver accountability whenever they are working in the roadway.”

“Construction and road workers face numerous hazards every day while performing critical work to ensure our transportation network is functioning as expected,” said Brent Pilarski, Business Manager, Michigan Laborers District Council. “Rep. Andrews’ legislation strives to improve the legal protections for these workers and raise awareness that drivers need to be cautious when driving in work zones. All workers should have the confidence and trust that they will be able to return home safely every day after work, and Rep. Andrews’ legislation is working towards that goal.”

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