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SB 963

Criminal procedure: sentencing guidelines; sentencing guidelines for crimes related to the employment of minors; provide for. Amends sec. 14b, ch. XVII of 1927 PA 175 (MCL 777.14b).

2023-2024 Regular Session Introduced by Sylvia Santana

SB 963 adds unlawful minor-employment offenses to the advisory sentencing guidelines, tied to SB 965, shaping how judges sentence repeat or severe offenses.

referred to second reading
#criminalprocedure:sentencingguidelines
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Bill Summary · SB 963

Summary — SB 963 (Amend MCL 777.14b: sentencing guidelines for crimes related to employment of minors)

Status: Referred to second reading (tied to SB 965)
Introduced: Jan 29, 2025
Subject: Criminal procedure — sentencing guidelines (Code of Criminal Procedure, MCL 777.14b)

Purpose / intent

SB 963 adds the new and enhanced criminal offenses relating to the employment of minors (created by companion bill SB 965) into the State’s sentencing‑guidelines chart (MCL 777.14b). The bill is tie‑barred to SB 965 and will not take effect unless SB 965 is enacted. The change aligns the sentencing guidelines with the tougher misdemeanor and felony penalties for Youth Employment Standards Act violations established by SB 965.

Key provisions

  • Inserts offenses under the Youth Employment Standards Act (MCL 409.122 and related provisions as amended by SB 965) into the statutory sentencing‑guidelines table (MCL 777.14b).
  • Establishes guideline classifications for employment‑of‑minors offenses, including separate guideline entries for:
    • Violations that result in a minor’s death or great bodily harm:
    • 1st offense → Class E (statutory maximum imprisonment ≈ 5 years)
    • 2nd offense → Class D (≈ 10 years)
    • 3rd or subsequent → Class B (≈ 20 years)
    • Repeat violations that are felonies (non‑catastrophic injuries):
    • 2nd offense → Class G (≈ 2 years)
    • 3rd or subsequent → Class E (≈ 5 years)
  • Removes prior guideline entries tied only to adult‑supervision violations and replaces them with the new felony guideline entries created by SB 965.
  • Updates internal statutory cross‑references to reflect paragraph renumbering in SB 965.

Who is affected

  • Employers and agents who employ minors in violation of the Youth Employment Standards Act may now have those felony offenses reflected in the sentencing guidelines.
  • Prosecutors, defense attorneys, judges, and corrections/court systems — because guideline classifications are used by judges during sentencing.
  • Minors and communities indirectly, through the statute’s deterrence and accountability aims.

Fiscal and procedural implications

  • SB 963 itself places offenses into the advisory sentencing guidelines; it does not change statutory maximum penalties (those are in SB 965). Because Michigan’s Supreme Court (People v. Lockridge) treats the guidelines as advisory, the bill’s direct fiscal impact is indeterminate — actual costs depend on whether and how often judges impose custodial sentences under the new felony classifications.
  • The related enforcement, prosecution, and corrections fiscal effects largely derive from SB 965 (which increases fines, creates new felonies, and expands enforcement authority). That bill could increase demands on law enforcement, courts, community supervision, jails, and prisons and create indeterminate additional fine revenue.
  • SB 963 cannot take effect unless SB 965 is enacted (tie‑bar).

Bottom line

SB 963 harmonizes the sentencing guidelines with enhanced criminal penalties for unlawful employment of minors created in SB 965 by placing those offenses into MCL 777.14b and assigning guideline classifications for repeat and severe offenses (including offenses causing death or great bodily harm). The practical impact on sentencing and State finances will depend on prosecution and judicial sentencing decisions and on whether SB 965 becomes law.

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

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