SB 163 is a funding bill that allocates $2.4 billion from Michigan's state general fund for capital outlay projects during fiscal year 2025-2026. It directly provides state funding for construction, renovation, or equipment projects at state-owned properties, public universities (like Michigan State and the University of Michigan), and community colleges (including Lansing Community College and Washtenaw Community College). The bill specifies state shares for 12 projects, such as $22.1 million for Ferris State's Allied Health Building and $9.6 million for Washtenaw Community College's Center for Success. This is a procedural appropriations bill that authorizes spending but does not create new policy or alter existing laws.
SB 165 is a funding bill that allocates $166.4 million in state general funds for Michigan's Department of Education during the 2025-2026 fiscal year. It provides specific appropriations for key programs including special education services ($9.8 million), Michigan Schools for the Deaf and Blind ($19.4 million), and departmental operations like information technology ($4.9 million). The bill directs state funds to cover salaries, program operations, and essential services across education departments, with additional support from federal and private revenue sources. It directly affects state education programs and administrative functions, ensuring funding continuity for existing services without creating new policies.
SB 164 is a procedural appropriations bill that allocates funding for Michigan's fictional "Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential" for fiscal year 2025-2026. It provides a total of $756.2 million, including $670.8 million for early childhood education programs (like child care licensing and Head Start), $11.8 million for higher education initiatives (including student financial aid), and $60 million for one-time programs like college support services. The funding comes primarily from the state general fund, with additional support from federal and private sources. This bill does not create new policies or affect specific individuals - it simply authorizes how existing state funds will be spent on these education-related services.
SB 167 allocates approximately $2.41 billion in state funds to Michigan's public universities for the 2025-2026 fiscal year. The bill specifies exact funding amounts for each institution, including base operations, operational increases, and costs related to the North American Indian tuition waiver program. It details funding sources, with the majority coming from the state general fund. This appropriation directly affects all public universities in Michigan by setting their state funding levels for the upcoming year.
SB 168 allocates state funding for Michigan's 29 community colleges for fiscal year 2025-2026 under the State School Aid Act. It provides a total of $506,504,600, broken down into specific amounts for each college's operations, performance-based funding, and costs related to the North American Indian tuition waiver program. The bill directly affects all Michigan community colleges by determining their state budget allocations for the upcoming fiscal year. This is a funding bill with no new policy provisions beyond budgetary adjustments.
HB 4238 prohibits Michigan public schools from entering agreements or accepting grants from specific "foreign countries of concern" (including China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Venezuela, and Syria) that would control curriculum, restrict school contracting freedom, or promote agendas harmful to U.S. security. Schools must share cultural exchange agreements with federal security agencies before signing, and federal agencies can block agreements deemed threatening. The law also bans accepting any value conditioned on promoting a foreign country's language or culture. It directly affects all Michigan public schools participating in international programs with the listed countries.
HB 4239, the "foreign influence of state institutions of higher education act," prohibits Michigan public colleges and universities from entering agreements or accepting grants from specific "foreign countries of concern" (including China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Venezuela, and Syria) if those arrangements control curriculum, threaten U.S. security, or restrict contracting freedom. It requires all gifts from foreign sources to be formalized through written agreements and mandates reporting of certain gifts to state officials. The law also bars accepting items of value conditioned on promoting a foreign country's language or culture and requires cultural exchange agreements with listed countries to be reviewed by U.S. federal agencies for national security risks. These provisions directly affect all 15 Michigan public universities and community colleges.
SB 234 requires Michigan public school districts and public school academies to create and implement policies limiting student cell phone use during school hours starting in the 2025-2026 school year. The policy must restrict phones during instructional time, breaks, lunch, and recess, while requiring exceptions for emergencies, medical devices, and students with disabilities (as required by law). Schools must detail enforcement methods and post the policy on their websites. This directly affects all Michigan K-12 public schools and their governing boards. The bill does not ban phones outright but mandates structured policies to reduce classroom distractions.
HB 4159 requires Michigan public school districts to provide a core academic curriculum aligned with state-developed standards for all students. It specifically mandates that history standards for grades 8-12 include learning objectives on genocide (including the Holocaust and Armenian Genocide), and that reading/writing standards for K-6 must use evidence-based "science of reading" methods focusing on phonics, decoding, and structured literacy. The bill also prohibits curriculum content that includes non-essential values or beliefs, and requires assessments to measure academic skills - not student attitudes. School districts must fully adopt these K-6 standards by the 2026-2027 school year.
HB 4157 creates a pilot program for a state-administered assessment system in Michigan public schools, replacing the current M-STEP testing. It requires item analysis for all tests (showing which questions students answered correctly and common mistakes) and mandates that districts use only student enrollment data from the time of testing when calculating school performance scores. The bill allocates $500,000 for an online tool to provide secure, immediate access to student-level assessment data for educators and parents. This bill directly affects public school districts receiving state aid and their students in grades 11-12, as it modifies assessment requirements under the State School Aid Act.
