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HB 5020

Relating to the financial administration of the Long Term Care Ombudsman; and declaring an emergency.

2025 Regular Session

Amends the Fourth Class City Act to replace 'prostitution' with 'commercial sexual activity' in the topics Fourth‑Class cities may regulate by ordinance.

Chapter 615, (2025 Laws): Effective date July 31, 2025.
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Bill Summary · HB 5020

Summary — HB 5020 (2025)

Title: Crimes: prostitution; references to prostitution; modify in the fourth class city act. (Amends sec. 1, ch. XI of 1895 PA 215 (MCL 91.1)).
Tie bar: HB 5016 (2025)
Introduced / Sponsors: Filed March 13, 2025; House version introduced September 18, 2025 by Rep. Kara Hope (and others).
Current status (selected): Read first time (April 3, 2025 / Sept 18, 2025); referred to committee (State Affairs and later Committee on Judiciary). Bill electronically reproduced Sept 18, 2025.

Purpose / Intent

HB 5020 updates language in the Fourth Class City Act (1895 PA 215) to change how municipal ordinance power references prostitution. The stated change replaces the term "prostitution" with the phrase "commercial sexual activity" in the list of subjects that a fourth-class city may regulate by ordinance. The intent appears to be modernizing statutory terminology and aligning municipal ordinance authority with alternative statutory language for sex‑related offenses or regulation.

Key provisions and changes

  • Amends section 1 of Chapter XI (MCL 91.1) of the Fourth Class City Act (1895 PA 215).
  • Shows a specific textual substitution in subdivision (b):
    • Existing text (excerpt): “To prohibit vagrancy, truancy, begging, public drunkenness, disorderly conduct, or prostitution.”
    • Revised text in the introduced version: “To prohibit vagrancy, truancy, begging, public drunkenness, disorderly conduct, or commercial sexual activity.”
  • No penalty changes, enforcement mechanisms, or new licensing/regulatory regimes are included in the excerpt provided; the amendment is limited to the statutory phrasing in the city‑powers list.

Who is affected

  • Municipalities governed by the Fourth Class City Act (cities incorporated under 1895 PA 215) — this change modifies the scope of topics their councils may pass ordinances about.
  • Local law enforcement and city attorneys, who enforce and draft ordinances under this authority.
  • Persons engaged in sex work and businesses or facilities that could be subject to ordinances addressing “commercial sexual activity” (the definitional scope of that phrase will determine the practical effect).
  • Entities tracking state/local consistency in criminal and civil regulatory language (e.g., courts, defense counsel, advocacy groups).

Procedural / timeline notes

  • Filed March 13, 2025 (legislative record also shows later reintroduction and electronic reproduction on Sept 18, 2025).
  • Read first time and referred to committee (records indicate referral to State Affairs on April 3, 2025; the Sept 18, 2025 version was read and referred to the House Judiciary Committee).
  • Tie‑bar to HB 5016 indicates this bill is intended to be considered together with related legislation; review HB 5016 for related changes to state law impacting prostitution/commercial sexual activity.

Considerations / implications

  • The practical impact hinges on how “commercial sexual activity” is defined elsewhere in Michigan law or in companion bills (e.g., HB 5016). If broader or narrower than “prostitution,” municipal authority to regulate may expand or contract.
  • Because the excerpt shows a single terminology substitution without penalty or procedural changes, immediate legal effects may be interpretive (how courts and municipalities read the phrase) rather than creating new criminal offenses.
  • Stakeholders should review the full bill text, the companion bill HB 5016, and any legislative analysis to determine definitional, enforcement, or preemption implications for municipal ordinances.

If you want, I can locate and compare the full text of HB 5016 and the complete version of HB 5020 to identify any companion definitional or enforcement changes.

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

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