Each month, The Michigan Daily publishes a compilation of bills in the Michigan Legislature for students at the University of Michigan to know about.
The following article explains five bills that have been introduced, passed or signed into law by the Michigan Legislature or Gov. Gretchen Whitmer throughout the month of May.
1. Separating athletes on the basis of biological sex
Status: Passed by the House
Introduced on May 7 by state Rep. Rylee Linting, R-Wyandotte, House Bill 4469 would allow K-12 institutions to base an individual’s athletics eligibility on their biological sex, amending the Revised School Code 1976 PA 451. The bill would amend the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act, which defines civil rights and prohibits discriminatory practices. The bill passed in the House on May 29 by a margin of 59-45.
The bill was part of a package of bills including House Bill 4066, which aims to prohibit transgender girls from participating in girls’ sports. Michigan Republicans and proponents of the bill argue that the bill protects women and the integrity of women’s sports. State Rep. Jennifer Wortz, R-Quincy, said she supported the bills in a press release from Michigan House Republicans.
“When biological males intrude into girls’ athletics, they take away success and safety from female athletes,” Wortz said. “Title IX was established more than 50 years ago to give women and girls fair opportunities to compete against their peers in athletics. We have now shifted so far in society that not only has that right been taken away, but biological males have also been allowed in female locker rooms and bathrooms. Ten years ago, we would have rightly called this sexual misconduct or harassment. I strongly support this simple plan to stand up for girls and women and protect them in their athletic endeavors.”
Groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union have denounced the bills. In a press release, the ACLU wrote that the bills violate the civil rights of a community and the importance of transgender participation in sports.
“Prohibiting trans kids from playing sports not only violates their civil rights to be treated equally to all other children – it is just plain wrong,” the ACLU wrote. “All kids, regardless of their gender identity, deserve love, support, and encouragement.”
2. Requiring additional de-escalation training for law enforcement officers
Status: Introduced in the Senate
Senate Bill 334 was introduced on May 29 by state Sen. Jeff Irwin, D-Ann Arbor. The bill would require law enforcement officials to be trained in various de-escalation techniques, identifying implicit bias, dignifying and neutral decision-making in procedural justice and in-depth crisis response. This bill would amend the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards Act, which outlines law enforcement standards and the responsibilities of certain state and local agencies.
The bill is part of a bipartisan package introduced to improve police practices and strengthen trust and safety across the Michigan community. State Sen. Stephanie Chang, D-Detroit, lead sponsor of the package, said in a press release the bill is an important step in transparency and safety.
“I am proud to work alongside my colleagues on both sides of the aisle on this commonsense, bipartisan bill package to increase transparency and make sure that, no matter where you live in the state, you can expect to be treated with dignity and respect by law enforcement officers,” Chang said. “By ensuring strong use of force policies, we can save lives of both officers and community members.”
3. Providing water safety instruction in schools
Status: Introduced in the Senate
Senate Bill 295 was introduced on May 13 by state Sen. Roger Victory, R-Hudsonville. If passed, the bill would require water safety instruction for every public school student. This would include instruction in the correct use of flotation devices, awareness of water conditions, adequate supervision of swimming areas, safe behaviors near the water, instruction on pool fencing, swim safety skills training and avoiding alcohol use with water activities. It would also include instruction on the importance of cardiopulmonary resuscitation for drowning victims.
The instruction would be integrated as part of a physical education course, and school districts would be permitted to customize their course based on the individual district’s circumstances and needs. The bill would amend the Revised School Code — a compilation of the laws governing public K-12 education in the state.
In a press release by Michigan Senate Republicans, Victory said this legislation will save lives, particularly in Michigan where dozens of people drown in the Great Lakes each year.
“In honor of National Water Safety Month, I am sponsoring legislation to help save lives,” Victory said. “More than 90 people drowned in the Great Lakes last year, and more than half of those happened in Lake Michigan. Water safety education and swim training have proven to be effective in giving young people the knowledge and skills needed to protect themselves and others from drowning.”
4. Prohibiting labeling laboratory-grown meat substitutes as meat
Status: Passed by the House, Implemented
House Bill 4076, originally introduced on Feb. 12 by state Rep. Jerry Neyer, R-Shepherd, was passed in the House on May 15 by a 99-7 margin and implemented immediately. This bill amended the Food Law, which currently defines meat as the edible portion of an animal slaughtered in compliance with meat regulation laws. This bill required that a person who sells a meat substitute must include the term cell-cultured, lab-grown, cultivated, cell-cultivated or another similar term in the label of the product to portray it accurately to the consumer.
Lab-grown meat, while used by animals, is not slaughtered, making it outside the legal definition of meat while still being labeled as such. Proponents argue that consumers should know where their products come from and support transparency. Those who oppose the bill argue that adding a label would create a stigma around products that are identical to traditional cuts of meat.
In a press release by the Michigan House Republicans, Neyer said full transparency is important for consumers.
“Regardless of how you feel about lab-grown meat, we should all be able to agree that the public shouldn’t have to go digging just to know what they’re buying and consuming,” Neyer said. “This plan is just as much about protecting farmers as it is about protecting consumers. Many farmers want a fair but competitive process should lab-grown meat become available. They’re selling beef products with packaging that promotes and explains their products. Scientists manufacturing lab-grown ‘meat’ should have to work within the same requirements. If they’re going to sell it, people should know what they’re buying as soon as they look at the packaging.”
5. Creating a fund to combat air pollution in burdened communities
Status: Introduced in the Senate
Senate Bill 305 introduced on May 15 by state Sen. Stephanie Chang, D-Detroit, is a reintroduction of legislation from last term that would create the Air Quality Enforcement and Mitigation Fund. The fund would be created in the state treasury and would provide more resources toward communities facing disproportionate environmental burdens due to indicators such as socioeconomic factors and environmental exposures. The bill would amend the 1994 PA 451, the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act, by adding section 5534.
In an email statement, Chang laid out the logistics of the Bill’s funding — from sourcing from the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy to the specifics of allocations.
“The fund would be overseen by the Dept. of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) and comprised of fines paid by companies that violate air quality standards or permits — fines which currently are put into the state’s general fund,” Chang wrote. “My legislation would require EGLE to spend 20% of the money in this created fund on grant administration costs and air monitoring and 80% to nonprofits, local governments, and academic institutions to address air pollution mitigation on the communities the companies polluted through air monitoring, health impact assessments, diesel retrofit programs, and more.”
Daily Staff Reporter Savannah Halpern can be reached at savhal@umich.edu.
