HB 5233, the "Military Leave for First Responders Act," requires fire departments and law enforcement agencies in Michigan to provide at least 26 days of paid leave annually for employees serving in military reserve components. It directly affects fire department and law enforcement agency members who are enlisted in reserve units, covering both active duty deployment and training. The law mandates employers pay these members their regular wage during leave and maintain all contractually required benefits. It also specifies advance notice requirements for leave requests (14 days for 10-20 days off, as soon as possible for longer periods) and includes a provision for paid leave to attend pre-induction military exams.
SB 702, the "Medical Debt Protection Act," limits how medical debt can be collected in Michigan. It prohibits interest or late fees for 90 days after a bill is due and caps annual interest at 3%. The bill bans wage garnishment, foreclosure, and other aggressive collection tactics for patients eligible for financial assistance under a healthcare facility’s policy. It also restricts selling medical debt to third parties without strict safeguards, requiring debt buyers to follow specific rules and return debt if a patient qualifies for financial help. The law directly affects patients with medical debt, large healthcare facilities, and medical debt collectors.
SB 700 sets a strict 3-year limit for Michigan's unemployment agency to recover improperly paid benefits, barring recovery actions after this period except for identity fraud or intentional fraud cases. It directly affects individuals who received overpaid unemployment benefits, requiring the agency to issue recovery determinations within 3 years of the benefit payment date. The bill also establishes new waiver rules: recovery must be waived if overpayment resulted from agency errors, or if the claimant faces financial hardship (income below 150% of federal poverty guidelines). These changes aim to prevent prolonged debt collection for most overpayments while maintaining enforcement for intentional misconduct.
SB 529 prohibits paying individuals who collect signatures for election petitions a fixed amount per signature or per completed petition sheet. Instead, it requires petition circulators to be paid an hourly wage for their work. This law directly affects people employed to gather signatures for campaign petitions, nominating petitions, qualifying petitions, or recall petitions in Michigan. The bill amends Michigan's election law to ensure circulators are compensated based on time worked, not the number of signatures collected.
SB 314 allows county employees who have retired to be re-employed in a county sheriff's office without losing their retirement allowance. It directly affects retired county employees seeking to work in sheriff's offices. The bill amends Michigan's retirement law (MCL 46.12a) to remove the current restriction that would require forfeiting retirement benefits upon re-employment. This change creates a specific exception for sheriff's office positions. The bill passed the legislature on October 23, 2025, with 31 yeas, 4 nays, and 6 excused/not voting.
HB 4002 amends Michigan's Earned Sick Time Act to clarify eligibility and usage rules for workers. It expands the definition of "family member" to include domestic partners and specifies that employees must work at least 25 hours weekly (averaged over a benefit year) to qualify for sick time. The bill also defines key terms like "benefit year" (a 12-month period for calculating leave) and clarifies that employers with 50+ employees must provide sick time for health, family, or safety needs. These changes aim to make the law's implementation more consistent while maintaining existing requirements for covered workers.
SB 8 increases Michigan's minimum hourly wage to $12.48 starting February 21, 2025, with annual raises through 2030 (reaching $15.00 by 2027). It also adjusts the wage annually based on inflation starting in 2027, unless unemployment exceeds 8.5%. The bill includes a provision for tipped workers, allowing employers to pay a lower base wage (starting at 38% of the standard rate in 2025 and rising to 48% by 2030) if workers earn sufficient tips that cover the difference. This directly affects hourly workers and businesses employing them, requiring employers to comply with updated wage rates and tip-sharing rules.
