LANSING, Mich., Sept. 17, 2025 – State Rep. Tonya Myers Phillips (D-Detroit) has introduced the Protect Kids & Seniors from the Cold Act (House Bill 5047), important legislation to protect vulnerable Michigan families from life-threatening winter utility shutoffs.
Far too many Michigan children and seniors experience utility shutoffs every year. Without heat during Michigan’s long and harsh winters, families are left to choose between dangerous alternatives or the extreme cold. The Protect Kids & Seniors from the Cold Act would ensure that seniors aged 65 and older, along with households with children 16 and under, are enrolled in a statutorily mandated shutoff protection program during the winter heating season (Nov. 1 – March 31).
“I introduced the Protect Kids & Seniors from the Cold Act because I cannot stand by while Michigan families face the cruel effects of skyrocketing utility costs,” Myers Phillips said. “Well-intentioned existing programs simply aren’t enough to keep every child and senior safe during brutal winters. No child should ever shiver in a car just to find warmth, and no family should lose loved ones to fires sparked by unsafe heating when utilities are shut off.”
The Protect Kids & Seniors from the Cold Act is designed to provide relief for vulnerable families in Michigan. Specifically, the bill would:
- Protect children and seniors from the dangers of freezing during Michigan’s cold winters.
- Eliminate injuries and death due to accidental fires caused by resorting to desperate measures to heat homes and keep warm.
- Prevent property damage caused by pipes bursting due to the cold when there is no heat in the home.
- Reduce costs for cities and counties related to emergency shelter services.
- Keep families together by reducing the need for foster care.
- Improve student educational performance by stabilizing home environments.
- Proactively protect Michiganders at a time when heating costs keep rising, even as the resources available to help families afford them are shrinking.
The bill ensures families don’t fall through the system. Utility providers would also be required to make applications easily accessible online, by mail and over the phone.
“Together with my legislative colleagues, dedicated stakeholders and compassionate community members from all corners of our state, I am committed to passing this essential legislation,” Myers Phillips added. “Let’s come together to ensure that our most vulnerable — our children and seniors — are shielded from the life-threatening dangers of extreme cold.”
Supporters of this legislation include the following organizations:
- Michigan Catholic Conference
- Michigan Environmental Justice Coalition
- Michigan League for Public Policy
- Michigan League of Conservation Voters
- Mothering Justice
- Polar Bear Solar Sustainable Energy Co-operative
- Sugar Law Center for Economic & Social Justice
- West Grand Boulevard Collaborative
Residents are encouraged to join the fight for winter shutoff protection by becoming a citizen co-sponsor of the legislation. Community members can also share personal stories about how utility shutoffs have affected them and their families.
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To become a citizen co-sponsor, click the image below:
