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HB 5924

Communications: broadcasting; regulations regarding volume of commercial advertisements; provide for. Creates new act.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Noah Arbit and 18 co-sponsors

Requires video streaming services in Michigan to ensure commercial ads are not louder than the accompanying content, starting July 1, 2027.

bill electronically reproduced 04/29/2026
#communications:broadcasting
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Bill Summary · HB 5924

Summary of Bill HB 5924 (Michigan, 2025-2026)

Title and Purpose

  • Official title: “Commercial Advertising Loudness Mitigation Act.”
  • Primary aim: Regulate the audio loudness of commercial advertisements transmitted by video streaming services to ensure commercials are not louder than the accompanying video programming or video content.

Key Definitions (Sec. 3)

  • Commercial advertisement: Advertising material for goods, services, or property.
  • Video content: Audiovisual material that is not a commercial advertisement, made available by a video streaming service for viewing.
  • Video programming: The type of programming defined under 47 USC 613.
  • Video streaming service: A service that makes available video programming or video content to consumers in Michigan via internet protocol, with certain exceptions.
  • Exceptions to “video streaming service” (Sec. 3(e)(f)):
    • Excludes traditional television broadcast stations, cable operators, or other multichannel video programming distributors.
    • Excludes entities that serve video programming or video content without any commercial advertisements.

Core Requirement (Sec. 5)

  • Effective date: July 1, 2027.
  • Mandate: A video streaming service may not transmit the audio of a commercial advertisement louder than the accompanying video programming or video content.
    • In practical terms, ads must be calibrated to match the volume level of the content they accompany.

Enforcement and Penalties (Sec. 7)

  • Civil penalties: Up to $10,000 per violation for noncompliance.
  • Enforcement authority: The Michigan Attorney General may bring an action to collect fines.
  • Disposition of fines: Collected fines are deposited into the state general fund.

Affected Parties

  • Primary targets: Video streaming services operating within Michigan that deliver video programming or video content with commercial advertisements via internet protocols.
  • Indirectly affected: Consumers in Michigan who watch content with advertisements (benefiting from reduced ad “loudness” discrepancies).
  • Exclusions: Traditional linear broadcasters, cable operators, and other multichannel video programming distributors, as well as entities that serve video content/programming without any commercials, are not covered by the act.

Timeline and Procedural Aspects

  • Introduction and status: Introduced in April 2026 by Rep. Emily Dievendorf, with multiple co-sponsors.
  • Committee action: Referred to the Committee on Communications and Technology.
  • Effective date for compliance: July 1, 2027.
  • Potential outcomes: If passed, state law would govern the audio loudness of ads on streaming platforms in Michigan and impose civil fines for violations, with the Attorney General enforcing penalties.

Practical Implications

  • Streaming platforms may need to adjust ad loudness normalization processes to ensure consistency with the surrounding video content.
  • Advertisers and platforms may incur compliance costs (auditing, engineering changes) to meet the standard.
  • Consumers should experience a more consistent audio experience when switching between ads and program content on supported services.

Notes

  • The bill does not regulate the overall loudness of video programming itself, only the relative loudness of commercials compared to the accompanying content.
  • Civil fines are capped at $10,000 per violation, with no explicit cap on the number of violations in aggregate per entity beyond per-violation assessment.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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