Lansing Update: MCC-Backed Abortion Reporting Bills Advance & More Legislative News
Posted December 12, 2025
Abortion Data Reporting Legislation Approved by House Committee
Abortion providers in Michigan would be required to collect and report to the state basic information regarding the abortions they conduct, under legislation approved by a House committee this week.
House Bills 5201 through 5203, supported by MCC, would reinstate the abortion reporting requirements that had been present in state law for decades before the previous Legislature repealed them in 2023.
MCC opposed the repeal of these reporting requirements and supports this legislation because it would provide public transparency and accountability around abortion in Michigan and produce data to help policymakers understand why women are seeking abortion.
The data to be collected would include the reason given by the woman for seeking an abortion, as well as any physical complications or resulting deaths.
Opponents of the legislation have publicly scoffed at the idea of inquiring about a woman’s marital status, among other metrics that would not be personally identifiable.
Yet those working with women who are considering abortion know that the lack of a support system—including the father of the child or a spouse—is a major factor for a woman’s decision whether to continue an unexpected pregnancy.
The legislation is now on the House floor for further consideration. House Bills 5201, 5202, and 5203 are sponsored by, respectively, Reps. Brad Paquette (R-Niles), Jennifer Wortz (R-Quincy), and Rachelle Smit (R-Shelbyville).
Human Trafficking Violations Could Mean Life in Prison Under Legislation
A person who commits a felony human trafficking violation against a minor could spend the rest of life in prison, under legislation that advanced from a Senate committee with MCC support.
The bill package advanced by the Senate Civil Rights, Judiciary and Public Safety Committee consist of Senate Bills 520, 521, and 705 and would both strengthen penalties against human traffickers and help victims of trafficking.
Under Senate Bills 520 and 521, a human trafficking violation that involves a minor and kidnapping, criminal sexual conduct, or death would become a felony punishable by up to life imprisonment and a maximum fine of $50,000. The bills, sponsored by Sen. John Damoose (R-Harbor Springs) would increase this penalty from the current maximum of 20 years’ imprisonment and would apply to both sex and labor trafficking of a minor.
Other human trafficking violations would be punishable by up to 20 years’ imprisonment and a maximum fine of $20,000, an increase from the current standard of not more than 10 years.
Senate Bill 705, sponsored by Sen. Sue Shink (D-Dexter), increases penalties for establishments that facilitate prostitution, including hotels and those overseen by landlords. The bill also provides a presumption that minor victims of trafficking are coerced into committing criminal offenses and removes the requirement to comply with court-ordered services to be eligible for the presumption. This is to protect minors who are human trafficking victims from facing unjust punishment for having been forced into prostitution.
MCC has long supported policies to combat and prevent human trafficking and its horrific impact on victims, who are often children and women. In addition to its legislative advocacy, MCC has previously organized a conference to raise awareness around the issue and has also dedicated a past edition of Focus to it.
MCC Supports Legislation to Strengthen School Safety, Prevent Tragedies
Schools—including nonpublic ones—would benefit from new state resources and funding to help their local efforts to identify and manage threats to school safety, under legislation supported by MCC and considered in a Senate committee this week.
The legislation—Senate Bills 470 and 471, sponsored by Sen. John Damoose (R-Harbor Springs) and Sen. Sam Singh (D-East Lansing), respectively—requires the creation of a statewide behavioral threat assessment and management program that schools can participate in.
Schools are already required to create their own behavioral threat assessment programs for the purpose of identifying students who could potentially cause harm to themselves or others. This requirement is intended to help schools prevent mass casualty tragedies.
Senate Bill 470 requires the Michigan State Police to develop statewide standards related to threat assessments and behavioral management. Senate Bill 471 creates a state fund for the program and appropriates $13 million for its implementation.
MCC, along with the Michigan Association of Nonpublic Schools (MANS), supports the legislation because it promotes improved school safety measures for all students. The bills received testimony only this week.
The same Senate committee approved Senate Bill 433, which requires the state to produce and provide information to schools with education about the health dangers of using high-potency THC and cannabis products.
MCC and MANS support the legislation and its provision to require sending this information to nonpublic schools, as well, for distribution to students and their families. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Dayna Polehanki (D-Livonia), is now on the Senate floor for further consideration.
Bill Requires Continued Education for Mandatory Reporters of Child Abuse
Individuals required to report child abuse or neglect would also be required to complete continuing education to understand the signs of child abuse, under legislation supported by MCC this week.
The House Families and Veterans Committee voted to approve House Bill 5220, sponsored by Rep. Angela Rigas (R-Caledonia), which would require anyone listed as a mandatory reporter to complete continuing education developed by the state every three years.
State law requires certain professionals who have established relationships with children to report suspicions of child abuse or neglect. The list of mandatory reporters includes physicians, nurses, social workers, teachers, school counselors, members of the clergy, and more.
MCC supports this legislation and similar policy measures intended to prevent child abuse.
The bill would allow employers to provide their own training materials to employees if the training is updated based on the state training. That particular provision is of interest to the Church, given the strong protections already in place across the Church in Michigan to prevent child abuse.
Dioceses in Michigan, operating under the Dallas Charter adopted by the U.S. bishops in 2002, maintain strict safe environment programs and training for Church employees and volunteers that include continuing education.
For more information about Church’s efforts to protect children, see the MCC publication titled On Mission to Protect and Heal.
Senate Panel Approves Bill Ensuring Returning Citizens’ Access to Re-Entry Services
Incarcerated individuals immediately released from custody after re-sentencing would have access to the same re-entry services offered to other returning citizens, under legislation approved by a Senate committee with MCC support.
Senate Bill 592, sponsored by Sen. Sylvia Santana (D-Detroit), comes in response to a state court ruling that could allow some individuals sentenced to life without parole as juveniles to be newly eligible for resentencing and possible release.
However, due to current policy, many of those individuals may not qualify for re-entry services offered to other returning citizens upon release. Those services include housing, employment training, and mental health and substance abuse counseling, all of which are important to prevent individuals from re-entering the prison system. The legislation would ensure those individuals have access to those services.
MCC supports policies such as these to promote comprehensive re-entry services to assist the formerly incarcerated in becoming productive members of society.
The Senate Civil Rights, Judiciary and Public Safety Committee advanced the legislation to the full Senate for further consideration. MCC also offered support for the House version of this bill last month.
The Gift of Guadalupe
Today the Church celebrates Our Lady of Guadalupe, the title given to Mary as she appeared to St. Juan Diego in Mexico and left an image of herself upon his tilma.
The importance of this event cannot be understated: Mexico is the Catholic country it is today because of how God used the image of tilma and Our Lady to help bring the native peoples of Mexico to the truth of the Catholic faith.
Above all, Our Lady of Guadalupe is a testament to how God, through Our Lady, reaches out to all peoples across the world, wishing to draw each person to Himself.
For more about Our Lady of Guadalupe—including the story and the meaning of the images on the tilma—please see this resource from EWTN.