Michigan Bill Book

This bill would give beverage companies a half-cent tax break for every returnable bottle or can they sell.

Michigan has a famous 10-cent bottle deposit law to encourage recycling. Right now, the companies that supply the drinks have to handle the empty bottles as part of their business. This bill would give those distributors a new tax credit of half a cent per container to help cover their costs. If their tax break is bigger than the taxes they owe, the state will cut them a check for the difference. It is basically using public tax dollars to pay beverage companies for a cost they currently handle themselves.

Beverage distributors

• Accountability (neutral) — Neutral. The bill does not change legal accountability or liability for companies.
• Rights & Protections (neutral) — Neutral. The bill does not impact consumer rights or protections.
• Who Bears the Cost (hurts) — Shifts costs to taxpayers. By giving a refundable tax credit, the state loses tax revenue to subsidize the operating costs of beverage distributors.
• Process Transparency (neutral) — Neutral. Companies must attach a required report to their tax returns to claim the credit.
• Funding Tilt (hurts) — Direct industry subsidy. The bill creates a direct financial benefit for beverage distributors, including cash refunds if the credit exceeds their tax liability.

Pushing for it: Beverage distributors
Bearing the cost: Michigan state budget

• Official text (MI HB4825)https://legislature.mi.gov/Bills/Bill?ObjectName=2025-HB-4825
• LegiScan — HB4825https://legiscan.com/MI/bill/HB4825/2025

This bill allows businesses to keep half of the state income taxes they withhold from new employees, diverting up to $50 million a year from public funds to employers.

Instead of sending your withheld income taxes to the state to pay for roads and schools, this bill lets your boss keep half of it as a reward for hiring. While it does require these new jobs to pay well above the local average, it is essentially a $50 million yearly subsidy for businesses paid directly out of the taxes withheld from workers. Half of the money is set aside specifically for massive corporations with over 1,000 employees.

Big Business

• Who Bears the Cost (hurts) — Diverts employee tax withholding to employers.. The bill allows employers to keep up to $50 million a year in state income taxes that are withheld from workers' paychecks, reducing money for public services.
• Funding Tilt (hurts) — Subsidizes businesses, but with strict wage rules.. While it gives millions to large corporations, it does require the new jobs to pay 150 percent of the local average wage and penalizes companies that lay off existing workers.

Pushing for it: Employers ($50,000,000)
Bearing the cost: State public funds ($50,000,000)

• Official text (MI HB5293)https://legislature.mi.gov/Bills/Bill?ObjectName=2025-HB-5293
• LegiScan — HB5293https://legiscan.com/MI/bill/HB5293/2025

This bill would excuse tech companies from paying sales taxes on data center equipment until 2050, as long as they create jobs and use clean energy.

Data centers are massive warehouses of computer servers that use a ton of electricity and water. This bill offers tech giants a sweet deal: skip paying state sales taxes on their equipment for the next 25 to 40 years. In exchange, the companies have to hit job creation goals, build green facilities, and buy clean energy. While the environmental and labor rules are good protections, ordinary taxpayers are still left footing the bill for the taxes these billion-dollar companies get to skip.

Big Business

• Accountability (helps) — The state can revoke the tax break if companies fail to meet the job, green energy, or labor requirements.. The Michigan strategic fund shall revoke a certificate... if it determines a facility no longer meets the definition of an enterprise data center.
• Rights & Protections (neutral) — Does not directly impact consumer legal rights.. The bill focuses on corporate tax exemptions and compliance metrics.
• Who Bears the Cost (hurts) — Shifts the tax burden away from highly profitable tech companies onto everyday taxpayers for decades.. The sale of data center equipment... is exempt from the tax imposed by this act through December 31, 2050 or... through December 31, 2065.
• Process Transparency (helps) — Requires the state to track and report how many jobs are actually created by these tax breaks.. The Michigan strategic fund shall submit a report no later than April 1, 2026 related to the number of data center industry jobs... established since January 1, 2016.
• Funding Tilt (hurts) — Provides a massive, long-term financial subsidy to a specific, wealthy industry.. Exempts data center equipment from the General Sales Tax Act.

Pushing for it: Tech companies building data centers
Bearing the cost: Michigan taxpayers

• Official text (MI HB5787)https://legislature.mi.gov/Bills/Bill?ObjectName=2026-HB-5787
• LegiScan — HB5787https://legiscan.com/MI/bill/HB5787/2025

This bill would give a tax break to energy companies that build or upgrade small nuclear power plants in Michigan.

This bill is currently moving through the state legislature. It wants to encourage more nuclear energy by letting power companies pay less in taxes. Supporters say we need this to create reliable power for the future. But others might argue it is just a handout to big utility companies, which leaves the state with less tax money to spend on regular people.

Nuclear energy companies

• Who Bears the Cost (hurts) — Shifts tax burden. The state loses corporate tax revenue to pay for these energy subsidies.
• Funding Tilt (hurts) — Corporate subsidy. The financial benefits go directly to large utility and energy companies.

Pushing for it: Nuclear energy companies
Bearing the cost: Michigan state tax revenue

• Official text (MI HB4128)https://legislature.mi.gov/Bills/Bill?ObjectName=2025-HB-4128
• LegiScan — HB4128https://legiscan.com/MI/bill/HB4128/2025

This bill just fixes grammar and removes old dates in the state rules for property tax credits, so it does not change how much money you pay or save.

Sometimes lawmakers just need to clean up old rulebooks. This bill takes out a leftover date from 1990 and changes clunky words to simpler ones. It will not change who gets a property tax credit or how much they get. It is just a basic housekeeping chore for the state.

Nobody / Symbolic

• Accountability (neutral) — No changes to accountability.. The bill only updates grammar and does not change how the state handles claims.
• Rights & Protections (neutral) — No changes to rights.. The rules for who qualifies for a homestead tax credit stay exactly the same.
• Who Bears the Cost (neutral) — No cost shift.. Tax rates and credit amounts are not changed by this bill.
• Process Transparency (neutral) — No changes to transparency.. It just removes an old date from 1990 to clean up the text.
• Funding Tilt (neutral) — No funding changes.. No money is moved or spent by these wording updates.

• Official text (MI HB5236)https://legislature.mi.gov/Bills/Bill?ObjectName=2025-HB-5236
• LegiScan — HB5236https://legiscan.com/MI/bill/HB5236/2025

This bill would update the rules for a state program that gives tax breaks to developers who clean up and rebuild on polluted or abandoned properties.

Brownfield programs are a mixed bag. They help clean up dangerous, blighted areas that desperately need it, but they do so by letting developers keep tax money that would otherwise fund local schools and services. Because the available text only shows the definitions section, we cannot see exactly how the tax credits are being changed. Until the full details are clear, it is hard to say if this bill gives too much away to developers or if it protects taxpayers.

Real Estate Developers

• Accountability (neutral) — Neutral. The provided text does not contain changes to oversight or accountability.
• Rights & Protections (neutral) — Neutral. The bill does not directly affect consumer rights or protections.
• Who Bears the Cost (neutral) — Unclear effect. While brownfield programs use tax capture, the text does not show if this bill increases or decreases that cost to taxpayers.
• Process Transparency (neutral) — Neutral. No changes to public reporting or transparency are visible in the excerpt.
• Funding Tilt (neutral) — Unclear effect. The bill modifies a program that funds developers, but the exact changes to the funding structure are not included in the text.

Pushing for it: Real estate developers
Bearing the cost: Local tax revenues

• Official text (MI HB5395)https://legislature.mi.gov/Bills/Bill?ObjectName=2025-HB-5395
• LegiScan — HB5395https://legiscan.com/MI/bill/HB5395/2025

This bill updates the rules for how the state housing authority works with other agencies to handle community development tax credits.

This looks like a routine paperwork bill. It updates the powers of the state housing authority and connects them with the Michigan Strategic Fund to manage tax credits for community development. Because the actual new rules are missing from the provided text, it is hard to say exactly how it will work, but it does not appear to take away any rights or add new costs for regular people.

Everyday People

• Accountability (neutral) — Administrative update.. The bill does not change how anyone is held accountable in court.
• Rights & Protections (neutral) — No rights changed.. The text does not add or remove any consumer protections.
• Who Bears the Cost (neutral) — No obvious cost shift.. There are no new fees or costs placed on regular people.
• Process Transparency (neutral) — Standard agency coordination.. It connects two state agencies to handle a tax credit program.
• Funding Tilt (neutral) — Tax credit coordination.. It deals with community development tax credits, but the exact funding details are not in the text.

• Official text (MI HB5809)https://legislature.mi.gov/Bills/Bill?ObjectName=2026-HB-5809
• LegiScan — HB5809https://legiscan.com/MI/bill/HB5809/2025

This bill makes large data centers prove they are reducing their environmental impact before they can get a massive state tax break.

Data centers are giant warehouses full of computers that run the internet. They use a massive amount of electricity and water. This bill is part of an ongoing plan to give big tech companies huge tax breaks to build in Michigan. Giving away tax money usually hurts regular people because the state has less money for schools and roads. However, this specific bill adds a good rule: it forces these giant companies to take direct steps to clean up their environmental mess to get the free pass. If they do not follow the green rules, they lose the tax break.

Big Business

• Who Bears the Cost (hurts) — Corporate tax breaks. Giving tax exemptions to large data centers means the state collects less money for public services, shifting the burden to regular taxpayers.
• Accountability (helps) — Environmental rules. The bill forces companies to prove they are using clean energy and reducing pollution to keep their tax break.
• Funding Tilt (hurts) — Favors big tech. The tax exemptions are specifically designed for massive enterprise data centers, a benefit ordinary businesses do not receive.

Pushing for it: Data center owners
Bearing the cost: Michigan taxpayers

• Official text (MI HB5791)https://legislature.mi.gov/Bills/Bill?ObjectName=2026-HB-5791
• LegiScan — HB5791https://legiscan.com/MI/bill/HB5791/2025

This bill would give companies tax money back for training young people and apprentices, which could help more people get good jobs.

This bill would give businesses a tax break for training people in certain jobs. This could help more young people and apprentices get the skills they need for good careers. It would also help businesses find skilled workers. However, giving tax money back to businesses means the state has less money for other things, like schools or roads. This bill is new, so people can still tell their lawmakers what they think about it.

Big Business

• Accountability (helps) — Requires annual report on program effectiveness and fiscal impact.. The department of labor and economic opportunity shall prepare a report containing information including, but not limited to, the number of taxpayers taking advantage of those credits, the number of apprentices participating in the program, the number of eligible students employed, the number of apprentices who complete a program, wage outcomes, and the fiscal impact of those credits.
• Rights & Protections (neutral) — No direct impact on individual rights or protections.. The bill focuses on corporate tax credits for training programs and does not directly change individual rights or protections.
• Who Bears the Cost (hurts) — State budget bears the cost of tax credits, potentially reducing funds for other public services.. A qualified taxpayer may claim a credit against the tax imposed by this part. If the credit allowed exceeds the tax liability, that portion of the credit that exceeds the tax liability must be refunded, meaning the state budget would pay out these funds.
• Process Transparency (neutral) — No specific transparency issues or improvements mentioned.. The bill does not include provisions that would significantly change process transparency for citizens.
• Funding Tilt (helps) — Encourages investment in workforce development and training.. The bill provides tax credits to employers for expenses related to training apprentices and eligible students in career and technical education programs, which could lead to more skilled workers.

Pushing for it: Michigan businesses that train apprentices and students (Up to $2,000 per trainee, plus 10% for small businesses)
Bearing the cost: Michigan state budget/taxpayers

• Official text (MI HB5649)https://legislature.mi.gov/Bills/Bill?ObjectName=2026-HB-5649
• LegiScan — HB5649https://legiscan.com/MI/bill/HB5649/2025

Health plans must pay dentists the full amount for dental work without charging any extra fees.

The bill would protect patients by keeping dentist fees low, but it could push insurance costs up as insurers absorb the full payment without fees.

Everyday People

• Accountability (helps) — Increases insurer responsibility for paying dentists fully.. Adds clear payment requirement.
• Rights & Protections (helps) — Protects dentists' right to full payment, helping patients keep costs down.. No extra fees allowed.
• Who Bears the Cost (hurts) — Shifts payment cost to insurers, which may raise premiums.. Insurers must cover full amounts.
• Process Transparency (neutral) — No new transparency measures added.. Standard reporting.
• Funding Tilt (neutral) — No funding changes in the bill.. No budget impact stated.

• Official text (MI HB4860)https://legislature.mi.gov/Bills/Bill?ObjectName=2025-HB-4860
• LegiScan — HB4860https://legiscan.com/MI/bill/HB4860/2025

This bill forces health insurance companies to cover essential care, let kids stay on their parents' plans until age 26, and stop putting dollar limits on your health benefits.

This is a major win for regular people. Right now, many of our health insurance rules rely on federal law. If that federal law ever goes away, insurance companies could go back to capping your benefits or charging you for basic checkups. This bill writes those protections directly into state law. It means you will not face lifetime dollar limits on your care, your kids can stay on your plan longer, and mental health care must be treated just like physical health care.

Everyday People

• Rights & Protections (helps) — Locks in patient rights. The bill guarantees coverage for essential health benefits and bans lifetime dollar limits on care.
• Who Bears the Cost (helps) — Lowers patient costs. It bans insurance companies from charging copays for preventive care like vaccines and screenings.
• Accountability (helps) — Strict rules for insurers. Insurers must treat mental health care exactly the same as physical health care when setting rules and limits.

Pushing for it: Patients saving on out-of-pocket costs
Bearing the cost: Insurance companies paying for more care

• LegiScan — SB0135https://legiscan.com/MI/bill/SB0135/2025

This bill would force health insurance companies to cover insulin and diabetes supplies without charging you any copays or deductibles.

This is a massive win for people with diabetes. By banning all out-of-pocket costs for insulin and essential supplies like test strips and syringes, this bill stops insurance companies from nickel-and-diming patients for life-saving medicine. If you or a loved one rely on insulin, this is exactly the kind of protection you want your state to pass.

Everyday People

• Rights & Protections (helps) — Expands consumer protections. Eliminates all out-of-pocket costs for insulin and essential diabetes supplies.
• Who Bears the Cost (helps) — Shifts cost away from patients. Forces insurance companies to cover the full cost of insulin and supplies instead of passing it to consumers.

• Official text (MI SB1033)https://legislature.mi.gov/Bills/Bill?ObjectName=2026-SB-1033
• LegiScan — SB1033https://legiscan.com/MI/bill/SB1033/2025

This bill would make sellers tell you the true yearly property taxes on a house before you buy it, so you know the real cost.

When you buy a house, the property taxes can go up a lot because the home's value is reassessed. This can be a big surprise for new homeowners. This bill would make sure sellers tell you what the yearly property taxes would really be based on the home's current value, not just what they paid. This helps you budget better and avoid unexpected costs after you move in. Some might say it adds a small extra step for sellers, but it gives buyers important information. If you want to avoid big tax surprises when buying a home, this bill could help.

Everyday People

• Accountability (helps) — Sellers must provide clearer tax info. The bill would make sellers accountable for showing property taxes based on the current assessed value, not their historical, lower tax rate.
• Rights & Protections (helps) — Buyers get better financial protection. Buyers would be protected from unexpected, higher property tax bills by knowing the true cost upfront before purchasing a home.
• Who Bears the Cost (helps) — Prevents surprise tax burdens on buyers. While sellers might have a minor extra step, the bill prevents buyers from bearing the unexpected cost of significantly higher property taxes after a sale.
• Process Transparency (helps) — More open information in home sales. The bill would add crucial financial information to the seller's disclosure form, making the home buying process more transparent for buyers.
• Funding Tilt (neutral) — No direct funding impact. The bill does not directly involve government funding or financial allocations.

Pushing for it: Homebuyers
Bearing the cost: Sellers (minor administrative burden)

• Official text (MI HB4110)https://legislature.mi.gov/Bills/Bill?ObjectName=2025-HB-4110
• LegiScan — HB4110https://legiscan.com/MI/bill/HB4110/2025

This bill would make insurance companies approve mental health doctors much faster, so people can get the care they need without long waits.

This bill is important because it would help people get mental health and addiction care more quickly. Right now, it can take a long time for insurance companies to add new doctors to their plans, which means patients wait longer for appointments. This bill would make insurers decide within 60 days and even pay doctors if they take too long, as long as the doctor is qualified. Some might say that insurers need more time to check if doctors are good enough, but this bill tries to balance that by giving a short extension for tricky cases. If this bill passes, it could mean faster access to care for many people.

Everyday People

• Accountability (helps) — Insurers must meet strict deadlines. The bill requires insurers to assess and decide on provider applications within 60 days, holding them accountable for timely processing.
• Rights & Protections (helps) — Improves access to mental health care. By speeding up provider credentialing, the bill protects a person's right to access mental health and substance use disorder services more quickly.
• Who Bears the Cost (helps) — Insurers bear costs of delays. Insurers would be required to reimburse providers for services if they fail to approve or deny applications within the set timeframes, shifting the cost of delays to the insurer.
• Process Transparency (helps) — Clearer application process for providers. Insurers must provide written decisions and clear communication about incomplete applications, making the process more transparent for providers.
• Funding Tilt (neutral) — No direct state funding impact. This bill primarily impacts private insurance operations and does not involve state funding or appropriations.

Pushing for it: Patients seeking mental health care, mental health providers
Bearing the cost: Insurance companies

• Official text (MI HB4095)https://legislature.mi.gov/Bills/Bill?ObjectName=2025-HB-4095
• LegiScan — HB4095https://legiscan.com/MI/bill/HB4095/2025

Health insurers in Michigan must pay for all medical problems and follow‑up care linked to gender transition, even if a person later wants to reverse it.

Transgender Michiganders will finally have insurance that pays for surgery risks and any needed reversal, so they won’t face huge bills. Insurers will have to add these costs, which may raise premiums, but the added protection matters now as the bill moves through the House.

Everyday People

• Accountability (neutral) — Neutral. Bill does not change oversight mechanisms.
• Rights & Protections (helps) — Positive. Expands insurance coverage for transgender individuals.
• Who Bears the Cost (hurts) — Negative. Costs shift to health insurers, possibly affecting premiums.
• Process Transparency (neutral) — Neutral. Bill does not alter filing or disclosure processes.
• Funding Tilt (neutral) — Neutral. No new funding provisions are included.

• Official text (MI HB4468)https://legislature.mi.gov/Bills/Bill?ObjectName=2025-HB-4468
• LegiScan — HB4468https://legiscan.com/MI/bill/HB4468/2025

This bill would make health insurance cover group prenatal care, helping pregnant people get support together.

This is a big win for pregnant people in Michigan. It means they can get important care in a group, which can be better and more affordable. Now is the time to support this bill.

Everyday People

• Rights & Protections (helps) — Increases access to prenatal care. The bill ensures that pregnant people have access to group prenatal care.
• Accountability (helps) — Insurance companies must provide coverage. Insurers will be required to cover these services.
• Funding Tilt (neutral) — No negative financial impact noted. The bill does not shift costs to consumers.

• Official text (MI HB4703)https://legislature.mi.gov/Bills/Bill?ObjectName=2025-HB-4703
• LegiScan — HB4703https://legiscan.com/MI/bill/HB4703/2025

The bill would make health insurers pay for recommended vaccines, so people wouldn’t have to pay out of pocket.

If passed, families could get needed shots without extra costs, protecting kids and adults. It shifts the expense to insurers, not taxpayers. Support it now while the bill is just starting.

Everyday People

• Accountability (helps) — Insurers must meet the new coverage rule. Adds clear duty for insurers to cover vaccines
• Rights & Protections (helps) — Expands consumer rights to vaccine coverage. Ensures people can get recommended shots without paying
• Who Bears the Cost (helps) — Cost shifts to insurers, not consumers. Consumers avoid out‑of‑pocket vaccine expenses
• Process Transparency (neutral) — No new transparency measures. Bill does not change reporting or disclosure rules
• Funding Tilt (neutral) — No funding provisions included. Bill does not allocate money or change fees

• Official text (MI HB5353)https://legislature.mi.gov/Bills/Bill?ObjectName=2025-HB-5353
• LegiScan — HB5353https://legiscan.com/MI/bill/HB5353/2025

This bill would make people who hurt animals pay for the animal's care and stop them from owning pets again, helping protect pets.

This bill is important because it would make sure that people who are cruel to animals face real consequences. Right now, taxpayers often pay for the care of animals rescued from bad situations. This bill would make the person who caused the harm pay instead. It also would help keep animals safe by stopping abusers from owning pets in the future. If you care about animal welfare, this bill is a step in the right direction.

Everyday People

• Accountability (helps) — Increases consequences for animal abuse. The bill would allow courts to order restitution for care and prohibit future animal ownership for convicted abusers.
• Rights & Protections (helps) — Protects animals from further abuse. It would ensure animals seized from abusers are not returned and provides for their care.
• Who Bears the Cost (helps) — Shifts costs from public to abusers. The bill would make convicted abusers pay for the costs of care, investigation, and prosecution of the animal victims.

Pushing for it: Animal control agencies, taxpayers
Bearing the cost: Convicted animal abusers

• Official text (MI HB5361)https://legislature.mi.gov/Bills/Bill?ObjectName=2025-HB-5361
• LegiScan — HB5361https://legiscan.com/MI/bill/HB5361/2025

This bill would stop health insurance companies from making patients wait for approval before getting medicine to treat opioid or alcohol addiction.

When someone is ready to get help for an addiction, making them wait days for their insurance company to approve the medicine can be dangerous. This bill cuts the red tape and lets doctors prescribe treatment right away. It passed the Senate without a single no vote and is now moving through the House.

Everyday People

• Rights & Protections (helps) — Expands access to care. Patients would get immediate access to life-saving addiction medications without waiting for insurance approval.
• Accountability (helps) — Stops insurers from delaying care. Health insurance companies would lose the power to stall or deny these specific prescribed treatments.
• Process Transparency (helps) — Removes red tape. Eliminates the hidden, often confusing prior authorization process for these drugs.
• Who Bears the Cost (neutral) — Insurers pay without delay. Doctors and patients would no longer have to spend time and money fighting for approval.
• Funding Tilt (neutral) — Neutral. The bill does not change state funding or taxes.

• LegiScan — SB0400https://legiscan.com/MI/bill/SB0400/2025

This bill would give a 2,500 dollar tax credit to volunteer firefighters and emergency medical workers who serve at least ten hours a month.

Volunteer firefighters and medics keep our communities safe. But they give up a lot of their own time and money to do it. This bill rewards them with a 2,500 dollar tax break. If they owe less than that in taxes, the state will send them a check for the rest. It is a great way to help the people who help us in emergencies. Now is the time to tell lawmakers if you support rewarding our local heroes.

Everyday People

• Funding Tilt (helps) — Direct cash benefit. The bill creates a refundable 2,500 dollar tax credit that puts money directly into the pockets of everyday citizens who volunteer.
• Accountability (helps) — Requires proof of service. Volunteers must provide a signed statement from their department head proving they worked the required hours and followed all rules.

Pushing for it: Volunteer firefighters and medics
Bearing the cost: Michigan state budget

• Official text (MI HB4008)https://legislature.mi.gov/Bills/Bill?ObjectName=2025-HB-4008
• LegiScan — HB4008https://legiscan.com/MI/bill/HB4008/2025