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HB 5506

Public employees and officers: ethics; certain local officials acting as lobbyists outside of the course and scope of the official's office; prohibit. Amends 1978 PA 472 (MCL 4.411 - 4.431) by adding sec. 6b.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Mike Harris and 2 co-sponsors

HB 5506 bans local officials from paid lobbying outside official duties, with misdemeanor penalties up to 90 days jail or $1,000 fine and inflation-adjusted thresholds.

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS
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Bill Summary · HB 5506

Summary of HB 5506 (Session 2025-2026, Michigan)

Purpose and intent

  • The bill amends the Lobbyists Registration Act (1978 PA 472) to prohibit local officials from acting as paid lobbyists or lobbyist agents outside the course and scope of their official duties.
  • Aim: curb outside-the-office lobbying by local elected or appointed officials and establish penalties for violations.

Key provisions and changes

  • Prohibition:
    • A local official may not act as a lobbyist or lobbyist agent for compensation if the activity is outside the course or scope of the official’s office.
  • Penalties:
    • Violation is a misdemeanor.
    • Punishment: up to 90 days in jail, a fine of up to $1,000, or both.
  • Definitions (as used in the bill):
    • Local official: An individual who is elected or appointed as either:
    • A county official; or
    • A local official of a city, village, or township with a population of 20,000 or more (per the most recent federal decennial census).
    • Lobbyist: Any of the following:
    • A person whose expenditures for lobbying exceed $3,200 in value in any 12-month period (note: groups of 25+ people’ personal expenditures for food, travel, and beverage are excluded if not reimbursed by a lobbyist/agent).
    • A person whose expenditures for lobbying exceed $800 in value in any 12-month period if the amount is spent on lobbying a single public official (again, excluding certain group expenditures as described).
    • The state or a political subdivision that contracts for a lobbyist agent.
    • Lobbyist agent: A person who receives compensation or reimbursement of actual expenses (or both) in a combined amount exceeding $800 in any 12-month period for lobbying.
    • Lobbying: Direct communication with an executive-branch official or a legislative-branch official for the purpose of influencing legislative or administrative action.
  • Inflation adjustment:
    • The bill notes that the dollar thresholds to define a lobbyist and a lobbyist agent are adjusted for inflation annually (the thresholds provided are for 2026).

Affected parties

  • Local officials:
    • County officials.
    • Local officials in cities, villages, or townships with populations of 20,000 or more.
  • Lobbying interests:
    • Individuals and entities engaging in lobbying activities that meet the defined thresholds at the state or local government level.
  • Potential enforcement entities:
    • Local courts and law enforcement for misdemeanor penalties.
    • Local prosecutors and prosecutors’ offices; local jail and probation systems.
    • Public and county law libraries may see increased or redirected fines revenue (as penalties collected often fund these libraries).

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • Status: Introduced February 5, 2026; referred to the Committee on Government Operations.
  • Next steps: Committee consideration, potential amendments, and eventual floor votes in the Michigan Legislature.
  • No specific effective date is provided in the text; as a bill introduced in 2026, any effective date would be determined by passage and signing into law or through a later effective date specified in the enacted statute.

Fiscal impact overview

  • The fiscal impact is indeterminate at this stage.
    • Local incarceration costs (up to 90 days) and probation supervision costs could rise, depending on violations.
    • Potential changes to fines could affect funding for public and county law libraries.
    • Overall costs depend on the number of violations and local enforcement outcomes; the analysis notes no reliable method to project violation totals.

If you’d like, I can provide a side-by-side comparison with current law (PA 472) and highlight specific statutory cross-references or draft a one-page briefing for policymakers.

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

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