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HB 5686

Criminal procedure: sentencing guidelines; sentencing guidelines for threats or assaults against department of health and human services designated caregiver; provide for. Amends sec. 16d, ch. XVII of 1927 PA 175 (MCL 777.16d). TIE BAR WITH: HB 5684'26, HB 5685'26

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Kimberly Edwards and 2 co-sponsors

The bills impose new penalties for threats, harassment, and assaults against DHHS staff, caregivers, and contractors and add these offenses to sentencing guidelines.

bill electronically reproduced 03/05/2026
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Bill Summary · HB 5686

Summary of HB 5686 (2025-2026) — Michigan

Purpose and intent

  • To modify sentencing guidelines and penalties related to threats, harassment, intimidation, and assaults against Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) designated caregivers, DHHS employees, and contractors under DHHS, with the aim of strengthening protections for DHHS staff and caregivers.
  • Serves as a companion to HB 5684 and HB 5685, tying their effective dates and provisions together.

Key provisions

House Bill 5684 — New penalties for threats, harassment, and intimidation of DHHS designated caregivers

  • Defines DHHS designated caregivers to include:
    • Foster parents
    • Kinship caregivers
    • Fictive kin
    • Adoptive parents of a child formerly in foster care
  • Crimes and penalties (misdemeanor options):
    • Threat, harassment, or intimidation of a DHHS designated caregiver: up to 1 year imprisonment, up to $1,000 fine, or both.
  • Enhanced penalties for assaults/assaults and battery against a DHHS designated caregiver:
    • Causing physical injury: felony up to 2 years imprisonment, up to $1,000 fine, or both.
    • Causing serious impairment of a body function: felony up to 2 years imprisonment, fine between $1,000 and $5,000, or both.
  • Definitions:
    • “Harass” and “Intimidate” include conduct that causes emotional distress (non-protected activity or legitimate purpose excluded).
    • Harassment and intimidation center on repeated or ongoing unconsented contact and fear of bodily harm; protected activity or legitimate purposes are excluded.

House Bill 5685 — Penalties for threats, harassment, intimidation, and assaults on DHHS employees and contractors

  • Expands existing protections to include DHHS contractors (private agencies under contract with DHHS) in addition to DHHS employees.
  • Current penalties (before expansion) are:
    • Threats aimed at DHHS employees: misdemeanor (up to 1 year, up to $1,000 fine).
    • Assault/assault and battery against a DHHS employee or contractor: felony up to 2 years imprisonment, up to $1,000 fine (physical injury) or up to 5 years with potential fines for more serious impairment.
  • Expanded penalties (as proposed):
    • Threats/intimidation/harassment of DHHS employees or contractors: same misdemeanor framework (up to 1 year, up to $1,000).
    • Assaults causing physical injury: felony up to 2 years, up to $1,000 fine.
    • Assaults causing serious impairment of a body function: felony up to 5 years, fines ranging from $1,000 to $5,000, or both.

House Bill 5686 — Increases to sentencing guidelines for these offenses

  • Adds the new DHHS-related felonies to sentencing guidelines (Chapter XVII of the Code of Criminal Procedure, MCL 777.16d):
    • Assault on a DHHS designated caregiver causing physical injury: Class G felony (maximum 2 years).
    • Assault on a DHHS designated caregiver causing serious impairment of a body function: Class E felony (maximum 5 years).
    • Assault and battery of a DHHS employee or contractor causing physical injury: Class G felony (maximum 2 years).
    • Assault and battery of a DHHS employee or contractor causing serious impairment of a body function: Class E felony (maximum 5 years).
  • Effective 90 days after enactment, with the same triggering condition as HB 5684 and HB 5685: all three bills must be enacted for HB 5686 to take effect.
  • No direct state or local fiscal impact anticipated by the bill itself, though implementation could affect local jail/prison costs and court caseloads.

Who is affected

  • DHHS designated caregivers (as defined above).
  • DHHS employees and employees of private agencies under contract with DHHS.
  • DHHS contractors working on DHHS-funded programs.

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • Three bills function as a package:
    • HB 5684 (threats/harassment/intimidation against DHHS designated caregivers)
    • HB 5685 (threats/intimidation/harassment against DHHS employees and contractors)
    • HB 5686 (amends sentencing guidelines for these offenses)
  • All three must be enacted for their provisions to take effect.
  • Each bill provides an effective date of 90 days after enactment.

Fiscal impact

  • The House Fiscal Agency notes an indeterminate statewide and local fiscal impact due to potential changes in jail/prison costs and court workloads.
  • Estimated cost ranges are provided for incarceration and supervision in general, but specific cost projections depend on the number of violations and case outcomes.

Summary takeaway

HB 5684, HB 5685, and HB 5686 collectively strengthen protections for DHHS staff and caregivers by:
- Establishing new misdemeanor and enhanced felony penalties for threats, harassment, intimidation, and assaults against DHHS-designated caregivers, DHHS employees, and DHHS contractors.
- Adding these offenses to Michigan’s sentencing guidelines with defined felony classes and maximums.
- Requiring all three bills to be enacted to take effect, creating a coordinated reform package.

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

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