HB 4836 Michigan House · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Education: examinations; opt-out option for the workforce readiness assessment portion of the Michigan merit examination; provide for. Amends sec. 104b of 1979 PA 94 (MCL 388.1704b). TIE BAR WITH: SB 0349'25

HB 4836 amends Michigan's state school aid law to add an opt-out option for the workforce readiness assessment portion of the Michigan Merit Examination. Beginning in the 2025-2026 school year, students in grades 11 and 12 may elect not to take this assessment through a parent/guardian-signed waiver submitted by February 28. The bill requires the state to provide schools with an informational letter about the assessment's purpose, developed with input from business, manufacturing, and skilled trades representatives. This change directly affects Michigan high school students required to take the Michigan Merit Examination, specifically regarding the workforce readiness component.

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Sep 2025

Committee Review

Dec 2025

House Passage

Dec 2025

Senate Passage

Dec 2025

Signed into Law

Dec 2025

Introduced Sep 4, 2025 Signed Dec 31, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons

What changed between versions

As Passed by the House → Substitute (H-1) · 1 edit

MINOR

This bill amendment primarily involves formatting and line number adjustments rather than substantive policy changes. The text shows minor formatting differences in the header and page numbering, with no meaningful alterations to the actual legislative content or requirements.

TECHNICAL

Minor formatting changes in document headers and page numbering without affecting the bill's substantive provisions

Substitute (H-1) - 2 → House Concurred Bill · 12 edits

MAJOR

This bill amends Michigan's state school aid act to update the Michigan merit examination requirements, adding new components including workforce readiness testing and social studies, while clarifying scoring standards and testing timelines. The changes expand the examination's purpose to include workforce preparation and ensure alignment with federal education laws. Several new provisions address accommodations for students with disabilities, retake eligibility criteria, and reporting requirements for transcript inclusion.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded to include workforce readiness assessment as a required component of the merit examination, added social studies as a required subject area, and extended applicability to home-schooled and nonpublic school students.

REQUIREMENT

Added workforce readiness testing component that assesses reading and mathematics skills for employment decisions, with opt-out provisions for students starting in 2026-2027 school year

Added social studies component as a required part of the Michigan merit examination

Added requirement for individual student reports showing whether pupils met or failed to meet expectations for each standard to help parents and teachers address learning gaps

Established quality management standards requiring contractors to meet Level 2 of capability maturity model in first year and Level 3 in subsequent years

Added transcript reporting requirements including scaled scores for each subject area and number of school days attended each year

Added requirement for accommodations for students with disabilities under federal disability laws

Added requirement for middle college programs to administer examination at high school location and include scores in high school reporting

ELIGIBILITY

Created specific conditions under which low-income students can retake the college entrance examination component at no cost, including income eligibility and scholarship denial requirements

SCOPE

Extended examination applicability to home-schooled and nonpublic school students with specific administration procedures

TIMELINE

Set examination administration window to last 12 weeks of school year with scores returned before beginning of grade 12 first semester

DEFINITION

Added definitions for 'English language arts' (reading and writing) and 'social studies' (US history, world history, world geography, economics, and American government)

TECHNICAL

Added provision requiring consideration of contractors who can score essays in multiple languages with ongoing instruction and feedback

Floor votes · Senate Dec 16, 2025 · House Dec 11, 2025

How they voted

38–0

Passed

Total votes 38

Dec 16, 2025

D Democratic19

19 Yea

100% Yea

R Republican19

19 Yea

100% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Dec 31, 2025

Introduced

filed with Secretary of State 12/23/2025 12:04 PM

lower

Dec 31, 2025

Signed into law

approved by the Governor 12/23/2025 10:34 AM

lower

Dec 17, 2025

Introduced

returned from Senate without amendment with full title

lower

Dec 16, 2025

Upper · Passed

PASSED ROLL CALL # 344 YEAS 32 NAYS 3 EXCUSED 2 NOT VOTING 0

upper

Dec 16, 2025

Upper · Passed

REPORTED BY COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE FAVORABLY WITHOUT AMENDMENT(S)

upper

Dec 16, 2025

Committee

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

upper

Dec 11, 2025

Introduced

title amended

lower

Dec 11, 2025

Lower · Passed

passed; given immediate effect Roll Call #326 Yeas 101 Nays 0 Excused 0 Not Voting 9

lower

Dec 10, 2025

Lower · Passed

substitute (H-1) adopted

lower

Dec 10, 2025

Committee

referred to second reading

lower

Dec 10, 2025

Lower · Passed

reported with recommendation with substitute (H-1)

lower

Sep 4, 2025

Committee

referred to Committee on Education and Workforce

lower

Sep 4, 2025

Introduced

introduced by Representative Rep. Brad Paquette

lower

1 primary · 7 co-sponsors