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HB 5253

Crimes: other; provision related to blasphemy; repeal. Repeals sec. 102 of 1931 PA 328 (MCL 750.102).

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Noah Arbit and 6 co-sponsors

HB 5253 repeals MCL 750.102, ending Michigan's blasphemy crime and removing criminal liability for blasphemy, with minimal cost and a mostly symbolic effect.

bill electronically reproduced 11/12/2025
#crimes:disorderlyconduct #crimes:other #religion:other
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Bill Summary · HB 5253

Summary — HB 5253 (1931 PA 328, sec. 102 repeal)

Purpose

HB 5253 would repeal section 102 of the Michigan Penal Code (MCL 750.102), removing from Michigan law the criminal prohibition related to blasphemy. The bill’s stated intent is to eliminate the statutory offense commonly described as a “blasphemy” crime.

Key provisions

  • Repeals section 102 of 1931 PA 328 (MCL 750.102) in its entirety.
  • The bill contains a single enactment clause: the identified statutory section is repealed. (No alternative language or replacement offense is proposed.)

Background / What is being repealed

  • MCL 750.102 is a longstanding provision in Michigan’s 1931 Penal Code that proscribes blasphemy (the bill title identifies it as a provision “related to blasphemy”).
  • HB 5253 does not include the statutory text being removed within the bill itself; it simply strikes the cited section from the code.

Who would be affected

  • Individuals: Anyone who could previously have been prosecuted under MCL 750.102 would no longer be subject to criminal liability under that statute.
  • State actors: Prosecutors, law enforcement, and courts would no longer be able to charge or adjudicate violations of that specific provision.
  • State law and legal practice: Removes an obsolete or rarely enforced criminal provision from the Michigan Penal Code.

Procedural history & timeline

  • Filed: March 14, 2025 (initial filing entry).
  • Read first time / referral: April 7, 2025 (initial referral to Transportation per record).
  • Committee actions: Considered in public hearing and testimony recorded on May 8, 2025; left pending in committee.
  • Reintroduction / reproduction: Bill electronically reproduced November 12, 2025; introduced/read first time November 12, 2025 and referred to the House Committee on Government Operations.
  • Sponsors: Rep. Laurie Pohutsky (primary) with cosponsors Morgan Foreman, Emily Dievendorf, Noah Arbit, Helena Scott, Regina Weiss, and Jason Hoskins.
  • Related: Companion Senate bill SB 2725 is noted.

Likely impact and considerations

  • Immediate legal effect: Eliminates the specific criminal prohibition called “blasphemy” from Michigan’s statutory code.
  • Practical effect: Likely largely symbolic and modernizing — blasphemy laws are rarely prosecuted and may raise First Amendment free speech concerns; removing the statute clarifies that such speech is not criminally prohibited by state statute.
  • Fiscal impact: Expected to be minimal (no new programmatic costs or appropriations are created).
  • Constitutional context: Repeal may reduce exposure to legal challenges based on freedom of speech/religion; retained provisions elsewhere in law are unaffected.

Note: The bill text provided repeals only MCL 750.102; it does not amend or affect other criminal statutes.

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

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