AN ACT RELATING TO TOWNS AND CITIES -- TIVERTON'S NEW CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS ACT

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Lou DiPalma and 1 co-sponsor

Requires petition circulators to point out or read the summary of purpose to signers before signing, with civil fines for sponsors if noncompliance.

05/23/2025 Introduced, referred to Senate Housing and Municipal Government

SB 1109 — Summary (Michigan Election Law; petition circulators)

Status (as provided)
- Introduced: Nov. 13, 2024 (Sen. Jeremy Moss); Senate referred to Committee on Elections and Ethics.
- Senate action: Passed (Substitute S‑1) — roll call Dec. 11, 2024.
- House action / Transmission: Passed and transmitted to Governor (dates in 2025 per record).
- Final: Vetoed by Governor (June 2, 2025) per the legislative-action history provided.
- Companion: HB 1803.

Purpose / intent
- To increase transparency for individuals signing initiative, referendum, nominating, and recall petitions by ensuring petition circulators either point out or read the petition’s summary of purpose before obtaining a signature. The measure is part of a legislative package addressing petition-circulator practices and signature fraud concerns.

Key provisions
- Adds MCL 168.482g to Michigan Election Law:
- Before an individual signs a petition under section 482, the circulator must either:
- indicate where the petition’s summary of purpose is located and give the signer the opportunity to read it; or
- read the summary aloud to the individual.
- Versions: The originally introduced text (as introduced) would have made a signature invalid and not countable if the circulator failed to comply. The substitute (S‑1) that passed the Senate changes enforcement to civil penalties.
- Penalties (Substitute S‑1 / Senate-passed text): If a circulator fails to comply, the petition sponsor is subject to a civil fine of up to $1,500, or $50 per violation (whichever is greater).

Who is affected
- Petition circulators: new duty to point out or read the summary to signers.
- Petition sponsors: civilly liable for circulator noncompliance (subject to fines).
- Petition signers: greater assurance that they have access to the petition’s summary before signing.
- Election administrators: potential role in enforcement and handling disputes; may see changes in petition-validation practices depending on final text.

Fiscal impact (committee analysis)
- SB 1109 (standalone) could produce positive but indeterminate revenue from civil fines. Committee reports note fines support local libraries and a portion ($10 per fine) goes to the State Justice System Fund. Other bills in the package had no fiscal impact.

Procedural notes / variants
- SB 1109 was considered alongside related bills (SB 1108 and SB 1110) addressing circulator pay practices and signature-counting rules.
- There are at least two enforcement approaches reflected in versions: signature invalidation (introduced version) vs. civil fines assigned to sponsors (S‑1/substitute). The substitute with civil fines was the version reported and passed by the Senate.
- According to the supplied legislative history, the measure later passed the Legislature and was vetoed by the Governor on June 2, 2025.

Key takeaways
- The bill requires active, affirmative disclosure to petition signers about the summary of the petition’s purpose; enforcement and remedies differ by version (signature invalidation vs. sponsor fines). It is designed to reduce misinformation by circulators and improve informed consent of petition signers.