New Legislation Signed to Protect Students and Enhance School Safety

On January 22, 2025, Governor Whitmer signed 19 bills and an executive order intending to protect students and enhance school safety throughout the state of Michigan.  The bills enhancing school safety include the following:

• House Bills 5450 and 5451 aim to protect students from gun violence by mandating that information on the safe storage of firearms, developed by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services by July 1, 2025, be distributed to parents of students by both public and nonpublic schools beginning October 1, 2025, and every October 1 thereafter.
• House Bill 5549 enhances classroom safety for students and educators by establishing a behavior threat assessment and management team. This team will monitor students’ concerning behaviors, implement supportive measures to mitigate potential threats, and provide students with the tools they need to thrive.  Both public and nonpublic schools must implement this by October 1, 2026.
• House Bills 4095 and 4096 intends to keep students and educators safe amidst public safety threats by requiring a standardized response terminology used by schools in response to emergency situations, developed by the Department of State Police by July 1, 2026.  Both public and nonpublic schools must implement the standardized response terminology beginning with the 2026-2027 school year.
• House Bills 5659 and 5660 establish a new School Safety and Mental Health Commission within the Department of State Police, which will focus on improving mental health for school-aged children, adolescents, and their families, as well as reducing suicide rates among Michigan youth.  In addition, Governor Whitmer issued Executive Order 2025-1 which provides that certain members must be included in the new commission.
• House Bills 6144, 6145, and 6146 aim to enhance the safety of Michigan communities by mandating that the Michigan State Police destroy all firearms acquired through gun buyback programs.
• House Bills 5400 and 5401 bolsters public safety efforts in Michigan, protecting individuals from hate crimes, including amending the sentence guidelines for a hate crime.
• House Bills 5887 and 5888 expand protections against all forms of sexual violence by establishing specific criminal penalties for sextortion. Sextortion involves blackmailing individuals by threatening to distribute sexually explicit photographs or videos of them.
• House Bill 4485 will aid in delivering justice to survivors of sexual assault by extending the statute of limitations for filing second or third-degree criminal sexual conduct charges.
• House Bill 6046 will expand access to services that help prevent the worst of violent events before they occur.
• House Bill 4173 and 4384 creates the Michigan Sentencing that will support criminal justice reform.
• House Bill 5695 increases the financial support available to local municipalities that provide ground ambulance services to individuals relying on Medicaid.

Taken in totality, these legislative measures are intended to safeguard  Michigan’s students and communities, enhance school safety, and address critical public safety and mental health issues.

If you have any questions about the new legislation, please contact the Miller Johnson Education Law attorneys. Miller Johnson School Policy Services™ clients will receive information about required policy updates in the coming weeks.