Farhat, Shannon Bills to Promote Public Safety Pass Michigan House

Package establishes a Public Safety and Violence Prevention Fund

LANSING, Mich., Nov. 8, 2023 — State Reps. Alabas Farhat (D-Dearborn) and Nate Shannon’s (D-Sterling Heights) two-bill package to create a dedicated source of funding for local public safety passed the state House today with broad bipartisan support. House Bills 4605 and 4606 creates the Public Safety and Violence Prevention Fund that would empower local governments to increase investment in first responders and community violence intervention.

“This package will make Michigan a leader in combating and preventing violent crime in the nation,” said Farhat, sponsor of HB 4606. “This fund will be a much-needed lifeline for our locals to retain police officers, hire mental health professionals, and fund community violence intervention. I’m proud that my colleagues joined me in taking this critical step to keep our neighborhoods safe.”

HB 4606 establishes the new fund and sets up the restrictions, eligibility and use of funds. HB 4605 outlines where the funding will come from. The fund would receive about $100 million annually from a new required monthly deposit of 1.5% of the revenue from the 4% portion of the sales tax. The money would be distributed to municipalities based on their average share of violent crimes statewide, create a statewide grant program for community violence intervention, and establish a stable funding stream for the Crime Victim’s Rights Fund.

“By allocating funds proportionally to strengthen public safety and prevent violence, this package will have an actual impact on our communities. It offers our communities funding they can rely on to support ongoing efforts to reaffirm public safety. It is always a priority to prevent crime and safeguard the health and wellbeing of Michiganders,” Shannon said. “It’s what localities want, need and deserve.”

The bills now move to the state Senate for consideration.

###