LANSING — State Representative Sam Singh (D-East Lansing), along with former federal prosecutor and law professor at MSU College of Law Mark Totten, announced a new bill today to strengthen the Michigan Consumer Protection Act (MCPA). Originally passed with bipartisan support in 1975, the MCPA was one of the strongest consumer protection laws in the nation, until 1999, when the Michigan Supreme Court interpreted the law to exempt businesses that are licensed or regulated.
House Bill 5378 will restore the MCPA’s original powers as they were conceived in 1975, reversing the controversial Michigan Supreme Court ruling.
“A strong consumer protection law gives victims the legal basis to seek justice. It also gives the state’s attorney general the power to do the same on their behalf. This law is vital to hold accountable companies that cheat consumers and harm families and businesses that play by the rules,” Singh said.
March 2 through March 8 marks National Consumer Protection Act Week, emphasizing the importance of creating policies like House Bill 5378, which work to protect consumers from fraudulent companies.
“In our system, the Legislature always has the power to come back and tell the Supreme Court it got it wrong when the court interprets a law,” said Totten. “Most companies are good apples, but when businesses deceive and abuse their customers, victims deserve a voice. Michiganders should have the same protections as citizens in every other state.”