Criminal procedure: sentencing guidelines; sentencing guidelines for crimes related to the employment of minors; provide for. Amends sec. 14b of 1927 PA 175 (MCL 777.14b). TIE BAR WITH: HB 4441'25

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Joey Andrews and 35 co-sponsors

HB 4442 adds labor- and child-employment felonies to Michigan sentencing guidelines, boosting classifications for deaths, serious injuries, or repeat offenses (tied to HB 4441).

bill electronically reproduced 05/06/2025

#criminalprocedure:sentencingguidelines

Summary — HB 4442 (2025)

Status: House introduced bill; electronically reproduced 05/06/2025.
Introduced: March 11, 2025. Referred to Committee on Economic Competitiveness. Committee reported favorably (as substituted) and sent to Calendars (May 2025). Tie-bar: will not take effect unless HB 4441 (and a companion Senate bill) is enacted.

Purpose and intent

HB 4442 amends section 14b of the Code of Criminal Procedure (MCL 777.14b) to add specific labor- and employment-related felonies (chapters 408–420 of the MCL) to the sentencing-guidelines chapter. The bill’s intent is to establish where certain workplace safety violations and crimes involving the employment of minors fall within Michigan’s sentencing guidelines, including higher guideline classifications for offenses that cause death, great bodily harm, or are repeat offenses.

Key provisions

Amends MCL 777.14b to explicitly include enumerated felonies from MCL chapters 408–420 in the sentencing-guidelines chapter (Chapter XVII).

Lists specific statutes and assigns offense classifications under the sentencing guidelines for those offenses. Included statutes (as shown in the bill) include, but may not be limited to:

408.1035(5) and 408.1035a(5) — MIOSHA/ workplace safety violations (including those causing employee death and subsequent offenses).
409.122 (multiple subsections) — crimes related to employment of children (including unlawful employment during prohibited hours, employment in sexually abusive activity, offenses causing death or great bodily harm, and repeat offenses).

Assigns higher offense classes for:

Offenses causing employee death.
Offenses causing great bodily harm.
Repeat/subsequent offenses.

Contains an enactment clause making the amendment conditional: it does not take effect unless HB 4441 or a companion Senate bill is also enacted.

Who would be affected

Employers, supervisors, and business owners charged under the listed MIOSHA or child‑employment statutes.

Minors employed in violation of child-employment statutes and victims of related crimes.

Prosecutors, defense attorneys, judges, and the State Sentencing Guidelines Commission, as the changes affect how recommended sentences are determined under Michigan’s guidelines.

Potential indirect effects on workplaces (compliance incentives), and on sentencing outcomes where injuries, deaths, or repeat violations are involved.

Procedural / timeline notes

Filed March 11, 2025; read and referred in April 2025; committee hearings in April–May 2025; reported favorably as substituted May 6, 2025; committee report sent to Calendars May 14, 2025.

The bill’s changes are conditional on the enactment of HB 4441 (and a companion Senate bill), per the bill’s enactment section (tie-bar provision).

If enacted, HB 4442 primarily changes how certain workplace- and child‑employment related felonies are classified for sentencing purposes, generally increasing guideline offense classifications for more serious harms and repeat violations.