HB 4396 amends Michigan's Juvenile Diversion Act to permit researchers to access certain juvenile justice records for research purposes under strict safeguards. It requires researchers to submit requests to the state court administrative office, obtain approval, and sign a data use agreement that protects personally identifiable information from public disclosure. The agreement must prevent misuse and exempt the data from public disclosure under Michigan's Freedom of Information Act. This change directly affects researchers studying juvenile justice outcomes, not the minors involved in cases.
HB 4517 amends Michigan's Child Abduction Broadcast Act to update its title and expand how radio and TV stations can share missing child information. It specifically allows stations to broadcast alerts via social media (beyond traditional radio/TV) when sharing details from the Michigan Department of State Police under the Amber Alert system. The bill also maintains legal immunity for stations that accurately broadcast this information. This directly affects broadcasters, law enforcement, and the public by broadening the channels for urgent child safety alerts.
HB 4746 requires Michigan's food assistance program to issue chip-enabled bridge cards instead of magnetic stripe cards to recipients. This directly affects individuals receiving food assistance benefits through the state's bridge card system. The key provision amends existing law to mandate the use of more secure chip technology for all new and replacement cards. This policy change replaces outdated magnetic stripe card technology with enhanced security features for the food assistance program. The bill passed the Michigan House with strong support on September 3, 2025.
This bill prohibits retailers in Michigan from using surveillance pricing, which involves raising the price of a consumer item based on an individual's personal data such as their IP address, search history, or device type. It requires businesses to clearly display the total price of items at the point of sale, with specific exceptions for things like food sold by weight, motor vehicles, and small items under 30 cents. The legislation also allows consumers to sue retailers for violations, potentially recovering actual damages or a minimum of $250 for each day the law is broken. Finally, the bill includes a tie-breaker provision that prevents it from taking effect unless a companion bill, HB 6098, is also passed into law.
This bill amends the Michigan Consumer Protection Act to explicitly prohibit merchants from using "surveillance pricing," a practice where prices are dynamically adjusted based on data gathered from monitoring individual customers. The legislation directly affects businesses selling goods and services by adding a new provision that makes it unlawful to charge higher prices to consumers who are being tracked or monitored. By incorporating this specific prohibition into the state's existing list of unfair trade practices, the bill aims to prevent deceptive pricing tactics that exploit consumer data.
HB 4262 empowers Michigan's attorney general to investigate and enforce violations of the state's Event Online Ticket Sales Act. It directly affects online ticket sellers who misrepresent ticket prices, availability, or fees. Key provisions include imposing civil fines of up to $5,000 per violated ticket, allowing the attorney general to seek court injunctions against ongoing violations, and enabling recovery of fines and restitution. The bill adds enforcement tools to the existing ticket sales law without changing the underlying consumer protections.
HB 4098 amends Michigan's Tax Tribunal Act to allow property tax dispute hearings to be held electronically via phone or video conference, with consent from all parties and tribunal approval. It directly affects property owners, businesses, and tax assessors involved in tax tribunal cases who previously could only attend in-person hearings. The key change expands existing provisions (Sections 26 and 34) to include virtual hearing options alongside in-person meetings, while maintaining requirements for public notice and open meetings compliance. This update modernizes the process for resolving property tax disputes without altering tax rates or assessment standards.
HB 4048 adds a new sentencing guideline for distributing intimate deepfake sexual images with aggravating circumstances, classifying it as a Class F felony punishable by up to 3 years in prison. This directly affects individuals convicted of disseminating such deepfakes, particularly those with prior offenses under Michigan law. The bill amends sentencing guidelines in Chapter XVII of the Michigan Penal Code to specifically address this crime, establishing a clear penalty framework for courts to apply. It became effective immediately upon the Governor's approval on August 26, 2025.
House Bill 4242 amends the public health code to update requirements for how medical licensees manage patient records. It mandates that healthcare providers explicitly document medical services involving vaginal or anal penetration in patient records, with certain exceptions. The bill establishes a general minimum record retention period of 7 years, which extends to 15 years for records of these specific penetration-related services, also with specified exceptions. Additionally, it outlines procedures for protecting record integrity and confidentiality, ensuring patient access, and for the proper destruction or transfer of records.
HB 4235 prohibits public employees and officials in Michigan from using or accessing certain applications on government-issued devices, specifically those linked to foreign governments or entities from designated "countries of concern" (like China, Russia, or Iran). It requires public employers (state agencies, schools, local governments) to block these apps on all government networks, restrict them on devices, and maintain remote wipe capabilities to remove them. The law bans downloading or accessing prohibited apps on work devices, with exceptions only for law enforcement officers conducting public safety investigations. This directly affects all state and local government workers using official devices for job-related tasks.
