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HB 4478

Weapons: firearms; sentencing guidelines; update. Amends sec. 11b, ch. XVII of 1927 PA 175 (MCL 777.11b). TIE BAR WITH: HB 4479'25

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Noah Arbit and 25 co-sponsors

HB 4478 updates Michigan sentencing guidelines by reclassifying chapter 28 firearms-related felonies to determine sentence ranges used by the guidelines.

bill electronically reproduced 05/08/2025
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Bill Summary · HB 4478

Summary — HB 4478 (2025)

Title: Weapons: firearms; sentencing guidelines; update — amends MCL 777.11b (chapter XVII of the Code of Criminal Procedure).
Introduced: March 12, 2025; House introduced version filed/reproduced May 8, 2025. Referred to Committee on Judiciary; committee substitute reported favorably (May 1, 2025); committee report sent to Calendars (May 14, 2025). Tie-bar with HB 4479 (and pending Senate companion S02488'25).

Purpose and intent

HB 4478 updates section 11b of chapter XVII of the Michigan Code of Criminal Procedure (MCL 777.11b) to revise the list and classification of felonies in chapter 28 (weapons, public safety, identification, and related offenses) that are subject to the state's sentencing-guidelines chapter. In short, the bill re-enumerates and assigns offense classes to a range of firearms- and identification-related felonies so those offenses are reflected in sentencing guideline calculations.

Key provisions / changes

  • Amends MCL 777.11b to list specific chapter 28 offenses and assign each an offense class (for use in Michigan’s sentencing guidelines).
  • The bill’s tabulation includes numerous offenses such as:
    • False statements on concealed pistol permit or concealed firearm certificate applications (e.g., MCL 28.425b(3), 28.516(2)) — class F.
    • Forgery/unlawful presentation related to pistol training/certificates and firearm sales records (e.g., 28.425j(3)) — class F.
    • Carrying concealed pistol or electro-muscular disruption device in prohibited place — third/subsequent offense (28.425o(6)(c)) — class F.
    • Failure to store a firearm resulting in injury, serious impairment, or death (28.429(4)–(6)) — classes E, D, and C respectively (increasing severity for more serious outcomes).
    • Manufacturing/possessing firearms, frames, or receivers without serial numbers — second/subsequent offense (28.434c(6)(b)) — class E.
    • Firearm sale without required trigger lock/gun case/storage container — third/subsequent offense (28.435(14)(c)) — class G.
    • False information/forging or counterfeiting state IDs and misuse of personal information (various 28.29x provisions) — multiple classes (C–H) depending on offense and recurrence.
    • Other related public safety and registration offenses (e.g., failure to register as sex offender, false child abduction reports).
  • Includes an enactment clause: this amendatory act does not take effect unless the companion Senate Bill (S02488'25) or House Bill 4479 is also enacted — i.e., the bill is tied to passage of the companion measure.

Who is affected

  • Defendants convicted of the listed chapter 28 felonies — the changes affect which offenses the sentencing guidelines treat and the offense-class used to calculate recommended sentence ranges.
  • Prosecutors, defense attorneys, and judges — will apply the revised offense classifications when calculating guidelines ranges.
  • Potential indirect public-safety impact — reclassification of certain firearm-related offenses (notably storage-related injuries/deaths, ghost-gun/serial-number offenses, and repeated permit-related forgeries) could shift recommended sentencing severity.

Procedural/timeline notes

  • Introduced in the House and processed through Judiciary Committee (committee substitute reported favorably May 1, 2025).
  • Committee report to Calendars (May 14, 2025). Further floor action contingent on scheduling.
  • The bill’s amendment to sentencing guidelines will not go into effect unless HB 4479 or the designated Senate companion is enacted (tie-bar).

This bill is primarily technical/structural: it integrates a set of chapter 28 offenses into the sentencing-guidelines framework and assigns offense classes that determine how those crimes are scored and sentenced under Michigan’s guidelines system.

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

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