Countdown to a Better Michigan!

The Countdown to a Better Michigan project celebrates laws taking effect on Feb. 13, 2024. For the first time in 40 years, Democrats gained control of the legislature and the governor’s office in 2023 — with majority, we led a remarkably productive year, passing and signing into law a historic number of bills. A significant number of those laws go into effect on Feb. 13. MI Dems are rolling out the Countdown to a Better Michigan project to celebrate laws that put people first.

Supporting Hard Working Michiganders and Protecting Workers’ Rights

Senate Bill 34, Public Act 8: Repeals the so-called private sector “right-to-work” laws.
House Bill 4004, Public Act 9: Repeals the so-called public “right-to-work” laws.
House Bill 4007, Public Act 10: Restores the prevailing wage.
House Bill 4044, Public Act 113: Repeals a provision of the Public Employment Relations Act (PERA), which requires that wages and benefit levels be frozen during contract negotiations.
House Bill 4233, Public Act 114: Allows public school employers to deduct union dues from employee wages.
House Bill 4354, Public Act 115: Allows school districts and public school employees to once again negotiate and discuss issues of performance evaluation standards; merit-based standards; decisions on layoff, recall, hiring, and position elimination; classroom observation; teacher placement; evaluation; discipline; and discharge.
House Bill 4356, Public Act 143: Allows school districts and school employees to once again negotiate and discuss the issue of contracting out work performed by non-instructional support staff.
House Bill 4357, Public Act 144: Allows school districts and school employees to once again negotiate and discuss the issue of contracting out work performed by non-instructional support staff.
Senate Bill 169, Public Act 236: Requires employers to provide collective bargaining representatives the contact information of workers in the bargaining unit.
Senate Bill 185, Public Act 237: Allows graduate research assistants and independent contractors to be considered public employees and have representation and collective bargaining rights.
House Bill 5021, Public Act 250: Changes the current default retirement plan for new teachers entering public schools from a 401(k) to the Pension Plus Plan.

Education, Students, & Schools

Senate Bill 174, Public Act 320: School Aid supplemental appropriations bill.
House Bill 4292, Public Act 321: Provides funding to forgive the debt of several school districts.

Elections & Campaign Finance Reforms

Senate Bill 13, Public Act 2: Moves the presidential primary date from the second Tuesday in March to Feb. 27, 2024, and the fourth Tuesday in February for all future presidential election years.
Senate Bill 367, Public Act 81: Part of the Proposal 2 of 2022, codifies nine days of early voting and allows absentee ballots to be tabulated before election day.
Senate Bill 370, Public Act 82: Part of the Proposal 2 of 2022, updates absentee voter application and ballot procedures and requires absent voter ballot applications, including the right to be placed on a permanent absent voter (AV) list.
House Bill 4696, Public Act 83: Part of the Proposal 2 of 2022 implementation package, updates sentencing guidelines to reflect criminal penalties for election law violations related to early voting and absentee voting.
Senate Bill 339, Public Act 84: Part of the Proposal 2 of 2022 implementation package, requires the Secretary of State to establish, acquire or approve an electronic tracking system for absentee voter applications and ballots.
House Bill 4697, Public Act 85: Part of the Proposal 2 of 2022 implementation package, requires that secure ballot drop boxes be located in cities and townships, calculated by 1 box for every 15,000 voters within that municipality.
House Bill 4699, Public Act 86: Part of the Proposal 2 of 2022 implementation package, creates a permanent mail voter list, which allows voters, once registered, to have an absent voter ballot sent to them before each election by submitting a single signed application covering all future elections.
Senate Bill 373, Public Act 87: Part of the Proposal 2 of 2022 implementation package, replaces the current student photo identification language with “educational institution” and adds a current local government photo identification card.
House Bill 4702, Public Act 88: Increases the maximum number of electors in a city, ward, township or village (precinct) from 2,999 to 5,000.
House Bill 4567, Public Act 184: Amends the Michigan Election Law so certain ballots are no longer automatically challenged.
House Bill 4568, Public Act 185: Eliminates a section of Michigan Election Law that prohibits hiring transportation to bring voters to polling places.
Senate Bill 470, Public Act 193: Extends the deadline to Sept. 1, 2025, for the Secretary of State to publish rules and set up a system that supports the electronic return of absent voter ballots for uniformed services members on active duty or members of the Merchant Marines.
Senate Bill 385, Public Act 251: Allows for online election inspector applications.
Senate Bill 505, Public Act 252: Adds sentencing guidelines for intimidating or preventing an election official from performing their election duties.
House Bill 4129, Public Act 253: Creates criminal penalties for intimidating or preventing an election official from performing their election duties.
Senate Bill 570, Public Act 254: Prohibits a county clerk from conducting an election audit if the clerk served as an officer, member or precinct delegate of a political party. Instead, the clerk would have to appoint a designee.
Senate Bill 590, Public Act 255: Allows and provides a procedure for a presidential or vice presidential candidate who was aggrieved by an error in the Board of State Canvassers’ certification or determination to seek judicial review.
Senate Bill 591, Public Act 256: Prohibits a private person from bringing an action for quo warranto (a challenge of applicable authority) related to the offices of presidential and vice presidential electors.
House Bill 4569, Public Act 258: Allows individuals between the age of 16 and 17 and a half years old to preregister to vote.
House Bill 4695, Public Act 259: Part of the Proposal 2 of 2022 implementation package, modifies provisions for early voting.
House Bill 5141, Public Act 263: Amends the Michigan Campaign Finance Act to prohibit the use of artificial intelligence, as defined by House Bill 5143, in campaign materials without the required disclosures.
House Bill 5143, Public Act 264: Amends the Michigan Campaign Finance Act to define artificial intelligence, for purposes of the act, as a machine-based system that can make predictions, recommendations or decisions influencing real or virtual environments for a given set of human-defined objectives and that uses machine and human-based inputs.
House Bill 5144, Public Act 265: Amends the Michigan Election Law to prohibit the distribution of materially deceptive media (commonly known as “deepfakes”) with the intention to influence the outcome of an election.
Senate Bill 374, Public Act 267: Requires a candidate to file their financial disclosure report under the Financial Disclosure Act before being seated.
Senate Bill 529, Public Act 269: Aligns Michigan’s Election Law with recent changes to the Federal Electoral Count Reform Act, as it pertains to the process of canvassing and certifying elections. It also adds two more people to the Board of State Canvassers.
House Bill 4570, Public Act 270: Provides for an online absent voter application.
Senate Bill 613, Public Act 281: Requires a public officer to file an annual financial disclosure report with the Michigan Department of State.
Senate Bill 614, Public Act 282: Requires a candidate for the same public office to file an annual financial disclosure report with the Michigan Department of State.
Senate Bill 615, Public Act 283: Allows a candidate’s committee to make an expenditure to pay for a late filing fee resulting from the late filing of required disclosure reports.
Senate Bill 616, Public Act 284: Amends the Michigan Campaign Finance Act to add references to a new section of the law created by Senate Bill 615 to the list of permissible expenditures for a candidate committee.

Lowering Costs, Putting Money Back in Your Pocket

House Bill 4001, Public Act 4: Repeals the retirement tax and expands the working families tax credit from 6% to 30%.

Protecting Personal Rights and Freedoms

Senate Bill 4, Public Act 6: Expands the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act to include sexual orientation and gender identity and expression as protected categories.
House Bill 4006, Public Act 11: Repeals the 1931 criminal abortion ban.
Senate Bill 2, Public Act 12: Removes references to criminal abortion in state laws.
House Bill 4032, Public Act 13: Removes references to criminal abortion in state laws.
Senate Bill 147, Public Act 31: Prohibits an employer from treating differently a person who has terminated their pregnancy or has had a nontherapeutic abortion not intended to save the life of the person.
House Bill 4616, Public Act 117: Prohibits a mental health professional from engaging in conversion therapy with a minor.
House Bill 4617, Public Act 118: Defines conversion therapy to mean any practice or treatment by a mental health professional that seeks to change an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity.
House Bill 4619, Public Act 156: (ACA) Prohibits health insurers from denying coverage based on categories such as sexual orientation and gender identity or expression.
House Bill 4953, Public Act 202: Amends references to reflect repeal of medically unnecessary state laws that create barriers to abortion.
House Bill 4954, Public Act 203: Amends references to reflect repeal of medically unnecessary state laws that create barriers to abortion.
House Bill 4955, Public Act 204: Amends references to reflect repeal of medically unnecessary state laws that create barriers to abortion.
House Bill 4956, Public Act 205: Amends references to reflect repeal of medically unnecessary state laws that create barriers to abortion.
Senate Bill 476, Public Act 206: Amends the definition of “abortion” in the Born Alive Infant Protection Act.
Senate Bill 477, Public Act 207: Allows a pregnant and parenting student services office to provide referrals to abortion services.
House Bill 4951, Public Act 208: Repeals sentencing guidelines for certain criminal offenses related to abortion.
House Bill 4949, Public Act 286: Amends references to reflect repeal of medically unnecessary state laws that create barriers to abortion.
House Bill 4457, Public Act 215: Designates June 19 of each year as “Juneteenth.”
House Bill 4476, Public Act 277: Prohibits a person from committing institutional desecration, or threatening to do so, against specified institutions because of the institutions’ association with a group of individuals who may have a common identity or attribute.
House Bill 4477, Public Act 278: Amends the sentencing guidelines in the Code of Criminal Procedure to include the felonies proposed by House Bill 4477.

Health & Wellbeing

House Bill 4619, Public Act 156: Part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) codification package, prohibits health insurers from denying coverage based on categories such as sexual orientation and gender identity or expression.
House Bill 4620, Public Act 157: Part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) codification package, prohibits health insurers from denying coverage based on preexisting conditions and canceling coverage based on the health of the insured person.
House Bill 4621, Public Act 158: Part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) codification package, requires health insurers to cover dependents up to 26 years of age
House Bill 4622, Public Act 159: Part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) codification package, prohibits health insurers from having annual and lifetime limits.
House Bill 4623, Public Act 160: Part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) codification package, requires health insurers to provide for the minimum required coverage.
Senate Bill 356, Public Act 161: Part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) codification package, prohibits, Modifies the summary of health insurance policy that insurers are required to provide to insureds in Michigan
Senate Bill 357, Public Act 162: Part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) codification package, prohibits Prohibits insurers from rescinding insurance coverage except in certain circumstances.
Senate Bill 358, Public Act 163: Part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) codification package, prohibits Outlines levels of coverage a health policy insurer must offer in the state.
House Bill 4071, Public Act 170: Requires health insurers to cover orally administered antineoplastic (anticancer) chemotherapy medication at the same rate as intravenous chemotherapy.
Senate Bill 410, Public Act 285: Repeals Michigan’s “drug immunity” law.
House Bill 4949, Public Act 286: Amends references to reflect repeal of medically unnecessary state laws that create barriers to abortion.
House Bill 4006, Public Act 11: Repeals the 1931 law that criminalizes abortion.
Senate Bill 2, Public Act 12: Repeals criminal law related to abortion.
House Bill 4032, Public Act 13: Repeals criminal law related to abortion.
Senate Bill 147, Public Act 31: Prohibits an employer from treating differently a person who has terminated their pregnancy or has had a nontherapeutic abortion not intended to save the life of the person.
House Bill 4616, Public Act 117: Prohibits a mental health professional from engaging in conversion therapy with a minor.
House Bill 4617, Public Act 118: Defines conversion therapy to mean any practice or treatment by a mental health professional that seeks to change an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity.
House Bill 4953, Public Act 202: Amends references to reflect repeal of medically unnecessary state laws that create barriers to abortion.
House Bill 4954, Public Act 203: Amends references to reflect repeal of medically unnecessary state laws that create barriers to abortion.
House Bill 4955, Public Act 204: Amends references to reflect repeal of medically unnecessary state laws that create barriers to abortion.
House Bill 4956, Public Act 205: Amends references to reflect repeal of medically unnecessary state laws that create barriers to abortion.
Senate Bill 476, Public Act 206: Amends the definition of “abortion” in the Born Alive Infant Protection Act.
Senate Bill 477, Public Act 207: Allows a pregnant and parenting student services office to provide referrals to abortion services.
House Bill 4951, Public Act 208: Repeals sentencing guidelines for certain criminal offenses related to abortion.

Investing in Communities & Housing

House Bill 4375, Public Act 52: Allows a city with a population of 50,000 or more to create land banks should they be in a county that currently does not have a county land bank authority.
House Bill 4273, Public Act 213: Requires an enforcing agency to notify both the landlord and tenant of violations of the Housing Law of Michigan and require specific information be included in the notice.
House Bill 4717, Public Act 246: Requires real estate licensees to complete not less than 1 hour of fair housing instruction as part of the continuing education requirement.
House Bill 4852, Public Act 247: Designates manoomin (Michigan wild rice) as the official native grain of Michigan.

Clean Energy & the Environment

Senate Bill 302, Public Act 106: Expands the Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Act programs.
Senate Bill 303, Public Act 107: Expands the scope of the PACE programs.
Senate Bill 273, Public Act 229: Creates and outlines requirements for energy waste reduction plans for utilities.
Senate Bill 277, Public Act 230: Codifies current Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) policy that allows a solar facility to be a permitted use for the purpose of a farmland development rights agreement.
Senate Bill 502, Public Act 231: Directs the Michigan Public Service Commission to consider certain factors such as environmental justice, affordability, compliance with clean energy standards and others when evaluating energy company plans.

Public Safety & Criminal Justice Reforms

Senate Bill 528, Public Act 199: Prohibits an individual convicted of a domestic violence misdemeanor from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
House Bill 4625, Public Act 287: Uses screening tools for minors eligible for a certain diversion option.
House Bill 4626, Public Act 288: Amends the length of time youth can be placed on precourt diversion programs.
House Bill 4628, Public Act 289: Allows the family division court to use screening tools for minors sought to be placed on the consent calendar.
House Bill 4629, Public Act 290: Requires the use of detention screening tools to determine if the juvenile should be detained in a secure facility while pending their hearing.
House Bill 4633, Public Act 291: Revises factors considered by the court for traditional waivers and designations and requires the period of a consent calendar case plan not exceed three months.
House Bill 4636, Public Act 292: Eliminates the juvenile’s late fee if they fail to pay a full penalty, fee or costs ordered by a court within the specified time frame.
House Bill 4637, Public Act 293: Eliminates the juvenile sentenced as adults fee.
House Bill 4639, Public Act 294: Updates references of “Children’s Ombudsman” to “Child Advocate” in the Social Welfare Act.
House Bill 4640, Public Act 295: Updates references of “Children’s Ombudsman” to “Child Advocate” in the Probate Code of 1939.
House Bill 4643, Public Act 296: Updates references of “Children’s Ombudsman” to “Child Advocate” in the Foster Care and Adoption Services Act.
Senate Bill 418, Public Act 297: Increases the reimbursement rate for in-home and community-based services for juvenile offenders to 75%, including community-based supervision, services, related practices, and per diem rates for the use of respite care and shelter for less than 30 days. Goes into effect Oct. 1, 2024.
Senate Bill 421, Public Act 298: Requires a designated individual or agency to conduct a risk and needs assessment for juveniles before disposition. Goes into effect Oct. 1, 2024.
Senate Bill 425, Public Act 299: Requires the Appellate Defender Commission to create a system of appellate defense services for indigent youth. Goes into effect Oct. 1, 2024.
Senate Bill 426, Public Act 300: Amends the Social Welfare Act to allow the Department of Health and Human Services to adjust the juvenile justice and residential per diem rate as needed. Goes into effect Oct. 1, 2024.
Senate Bill 428, Public Act 301: Eliminates most fines and fees for juveniles in the Probate Code. Goes into effect Oct. 1, 2024.
Senate Bill 429, Public Act 302: Exempts juveniles from the $60 fee in addition to other fines, costs or other assessments in the DNA Identification Profiling System Act. Goes into effect Oct. 1, 2024.
Senate Bill 432, Public Act 303: Amends the Children’s Ombudsman Act, renaming it the “Child Advocate” and the “Office of Child Advocate” (OCA) and expanding its oversight and investigatory reach to also include juvenile justice facilities, as well as child protective services, foster care or adoption services.
Senate Bill 435, Public Act 304: Updates references to Child Advocate and the Office of Child Advocate from the “Children’s Ombudsman” and the “Office of Children’s Ombudsman” in the Child Care Licensing Act.
Senate Bill 436, Public Act 305: Updates the references to “Child Advocate” from the Children’s Ombudsman in the Child Protection Law.

Gun Violence Protections

Senate Bill 79, Public Act 17: Requires unattended firearms to be safely stored if a minor is, or is likely to be, on the premises.
House Bill 4142, Public Act 18: Requires an individual to have a license or a federal national instant background check to purchase a firearm.
House Bill 4138, Public Act 19: Requires an individual to have a license or a federal national instant background check to purchase a firearm.
House Bill 4143, Public Act 22: Requires an individual to have a license or a federal national instant background check to purchase a firearm.
House Bill 4147, Public Act 35: Makes the service of process of ERPOs free of charge and requires that service of process must comply with the provisions in the Extreme Risk Protection Order Act.
House Bill 4148, Public Act 36: Updates sentencing guidelines to reflect criminal penalties related to ERPO violations.
House Bill 4146, Public Act 37: Prohibits an individual who was subject to an ERPO from qualifying for a pistol license or a concealed pistol license.
Senate Bill 83, Public Act 38: Creates the Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) Act, to allow law enforcement, family members and others to petition courts to temporarily remove firearms from people who pose a risk of harm to themselves or others.
Senate Bill 471, Public Act 201: Prohibits an individual convicted of a domestic violence misdemeanor from possessing a firearm or ammunition.