Higher education: state universities; authority to purchase land; modify. Amends sec. 5 of 1851 PA 151 (MCL 390.5). TIE BAR WITH: HJR X'26

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Joey Andrews and 21 co-sponsors

The bill requires the Regents’ new land acquisitions after Jan 1, 2027 to comply with local zoning and ordinances.

bill electronically reproduced 06/23/2026

Bill Summary: HB 6121 (2025-2026) – Higher education: state universities; authority to purchase land; modify

Purpose and intent

Updates to Michigan law governing the University regents and their authority over university governance, with a notable change tying enactment to a constitutional process.

The bill appears aimed at modifying land acquisition-related requirements for state university land after January 1, 2027, and ensuring compliance with local land-use regulations.

Key provisions and changes

Section 5 (existing governance authority):

Maintains the Regents’ authority to:
Enact ordinances, by-laws, and regulations for the government of the university.
Elect a president.
Fix, increase, or reduce the number of regular professors and tutors and appoint them.
Determine and set their salaries.
Note: The text includes a legacy reference requiring “at least 1 professor of homeopathy in the department of medicine,” which appears to be a historical provision included for context or to be carried forward in the amended statute.

Land use and local compliance:

Subsection (2) provides that the Regents shall comply with all local ordinances and local zoning requirements for any land acquired by the regents on or after January 1, 2027.
This imposes a requirement to align university land acquisitions with local zoning and ordinances going forward.

Constitutional enacting condition:

Enacting section 1 states that the amendatory act does not take effect unless House Joint Resolution X (request no. H06557'26) from the 103rd Legislature becomes part of the state constitution of 1963 as provided in article XII, section 1.
In other words, the bill’s effective date is contingent on a constitutional amendment being adopted through a joint resolution process.

Who/what would be affected

The Michigan State University Regents and the governance structure of the state university system, including their authority to appoint faculty and set salaries, is retained but adjusted by the land-use compliance requirement.

Any land acquisitions by the Regents on or after January 1, 2027 would be subject to local zoning and ordinances.

Local governments and planning authorities may see increased interplay with university land purchases due to mandatory compliance with local regulations.

Procedural and timeline aspects

The bill was introduced June 23, 2026, and referred to the Committee on Government Operations.

It includes a conditional effective date tied to a concurrent constitutional amendment via House Joint Resolution X; the act would not take effect unless that constitutional change occurs.

The bill’s language retains a historical clause requiring a homeopathy professor, which may warrant clarification or revision depending on how the provision is interpreted in practice.

Notes for readers

The core substantive shift is the imposition of local zoning compliance on new land acquisitions by the Regents beginning 2027, coupled with a constitutional-condition trigger for the bill to take effect.

The reference to a specific faculty requirement (homeopathy professor) appears antiquated and may be a drafting artifact; clarification in committee may address whether this requirement remains operative.

If you’d like, I can provide a comparison with current law (1851 PA 151) to highlight all differences side-by-side, or track potential implications for universities’ future land projects.