2023 Senate Bill 505 / Public Act 252

Criminal procedure: sentencing guidelines; sentencing guidelines for certain Michigan election law violations dealing with intimidating an election official; provide for.

An act to amend 1927 PA 175, entitled “An act to revise, consolidate, and codify the laws relating to criminal procedure and to define the jurisdiction, powers, and duties of courts, judges, and other officers of the court under the provisions of this act; to provide laws relative to the rights of persons accused of criminal offenses and ordinance violations; to provide for the arrest of persons charged with or suspected of criminal offenses and ordinance violations; to provide for bail of persons arrested for or accused of criminal offenses and ordinance violations; to provide for the examination of persons accused of criminal offenses; to regulate the procedure relative to grand juries, indictments, informations, and proceedings before trial; to provide for trials of persons complained of or indicted for criminal offenses and ordinance violations and to provide for the procedure in those trials; to provide for judgments and sentences of persons convicted of criminal offenses and ordinance violations; to establish a sentencing commission and to prescribe its powers and duties; to provide for procedure relating to new trials and appeals in criminal and ordinance violation cases; to provide a uniform system of probation throughout this state and the appointment of probation officers; to prescribe the powers, duties, and compensation of probation officers; to provide penalties for the violation of the duties of probation officers; to provide for procedure governing proceedings to prevent crime and proceedings for the discovery of crime; to provide for fees of officers, witnesses, and others in criminal and ordinance violation cases; to set forth miscellaneous provisions as to criminal procedure in certain cases; to provide penalties for the violation of certain provisions of this act; and to repeal all acts and parts of acts inconsistent with or contravening any of the provisions of this act,” by amending section 11d of chapter XVII (MCL 777.11d), as amended by 2023 PA 83.

AI Analysis – Experimental

Specifies penalties for felonies such as petition fraud, early voting result disclosure, filing false election statements, and various forms of election misconduct, including voter intimidation, ballot tampering, and absentee ballot fraud, with penalties ranging from 2 to 5 years.

Introduced in the Senate

Sept. 19, 2023

Introduced by Sen. Dayna Polehanki (D-5) and four co-sponsors

Co-sponsored by Sens. Sean McCann (D-19), Erika Geiss (D-1), Sue Shink (D-14) and Rosemary Bayer (D-13)

Referred to the Committee on Elections and Ethics

Nov. 2, 2023

Discharged from committee

Referred to the Committee of the Whole

Reported without amendment

Passed in the Senate 20 to 18 (details)

Received in the House

Nov. 2, 2023

Referred to the Committee on Elections

Nov. 8, 2023

Discharged from committee

Nov. 9, 2023

Passed in the House 56 to 53 (details)

Motion to give immediate effect by Rep. Abraham Aiyash (D-9)

The motion prevailed by voice vote

Signed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer

Dec. 1, 2023