Legislative updates for June 2026

This update includes recently introduced bills and those moving through the legislative process. Michigan Farm Bureau’s positions are rooted in the organization’s member-developed policy. 

Youth Employment 

House Bill 5727, sponsored by Rep. Mike Hoadley (R-Au Gres), would remove the requirement for minors to obtain a work permit before entering the workforce. Instead of completing the permitting process through the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, set to begin in October 2026, employers could hire a minor upon receiving documentation verifying the individual's age. 

While preserving key youth employment protections, the bill streamlines the hiring process for both young workers and employers. MFB supported the legislation during a June 4 hearing before the House Economic Competitiveness Committee, as MFB Policy #48 Agricultural Workforce supports "expanded opportunities for employment of young people in agricultural operations." The bill passed the committee on June 11 and now awaits a secondary review by the House Rules Committee.

Contact: Josh Scramlin

Wetlands

Several bills addressing wetlands policy have been introduced, and Farm Bureau supports the following legislation:

• House Bill 5082, introduced by Rep. Tom Kunse (R-Clare), would require the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy to complete a wetland assessment within 60 days and prohibit the department from charging fees for the assessment. 
• House Bills 5501-5502, sponsored by Reps. Greg Alexander (R-Carsonville) and Cam Cavitt (R-Cheboygan), would allow for the relocation or replacement of wetlands within development projects.
• House Bill 5536, introduced by Rep. David Martin (R-Davison), would clarify the definition of a wetland by aligning state standards with federal standards following the Sackett v. EPA U.S. Supreme Court ruling.

House Bill 5082 passed the House Natural Resources and Tourism Committee on April 29 and now awaits consideration by the full House. House Bills 5501-5502 and 5536 passed the House by a 57-51 vote on June 4 and now await consideration by the Senate Natural Resources and Agriculture Committee.

Contact: Josh Scramlin

Permit Guidelines

Introduced by Rep. Ken Borton (R-Gaylord), House Bill 5498 would require state agencies to assign employees who manage permit issuance to a single subject area. Farm Bureau supports the bill, which passed the House 57-51 on June 4 and has been referred to the Senate Regulatory Affairs Committee. 

Contact: Josh Scramlin

Privately Owned Cervidae

House Bill 5645 and Senate Bill 809, introduced by Rep. Phil Green (R-Millington) and Sen. John Cherry (D-Flint), respectively, would transfer oversight of privately owned cervids from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. Farm Bureau supports the legislation. HB 5645 passed the House Agriculture Committee on June 11 and awaits a vote on the House floor. SB 809 awaits consideration by the Senate Natural Resources and Agriculture Committee.

Contact: Justin Tomei

State Budget

As state budget negotiations continue in the legislature, Michigan Farm Bureau continues to advocate for and protect agricultural priorities that align with the organization’s member-developed policy.

The Michigan House and Senate recently approved their respective budget proposals — House Bill 5619 passing 56-51 and Senate Bill 878 passing 19-18 — but both spending plans now head into further negotiations before a final budget agreement is reached.

MFB is engaged with industry partners and MSU to ensure licensing and regulation as well as agriculture research maintain prioritization during this process and signed on to an industry letter that went to legislators. 

View the MFB update with additional details on MDARD, MSU and EGLE budget items here.

Contact: Rebecca Park

Property Tax Legislation

A package of bills has been introduced that would significantly change Michigan’s tax structure. The proposal includes eliminating the “pop-up” tax on property transfers, repealing the state education tax, real estate transfer tax and personal property tax—totaling an estimated $4 billion in tax reductions, with an additional $1 billion in expected utility savings. To offset the cuts, a new tax on services is proposed, though details remain unclear.

Several provisions could impact property taxation, including changes to how taxable values are calculated and exemptions for certain property types. While the bills are not agriculture-specific, these types of changes can have downstream implications for farmland and agribusiness operations. Michigan Farm Bureau does not currently have a position on the legislation but is closely monitoring the package due to its potential impact on agriculture and related policy.

Bill highlights:

• HB 5872: Limit taxable value “uncapping” in specific property transfers 
• HB 5873: Repeal state education tax (replace with general fund support)
• HB 5874: Repeal real estate transfer tax
• HB 5875–5877: Update financing laws tied to transfer tax repeal
• HB 5878: Eliminate most personal property tax
• HB 5879: Require utilities to report savings, review rates

The legislation passed the House in late May and awaits consideration by the Senate Government Operations Committee.

Contact: Rebecca Park

State Energy Policy

House Bills 5710-5711, sponsored by Reps. Pauline Wendzel (R-Watervliet) and Pat Outman (R-Six Lakes), would refocus Michigan’s utility regulatory framework on electric reliability, affordability and minimizing costs for ratepayers when utilities develop long-term generation plans and rate cases, while scaling back certain requirements related to renewable energy mandates, environmental justice and consumer advocacy funding. 

Supported by Farm Bureau, the bills align with the organization’s policy, “advocating for adequate and affordable energy for residents and businesses” as well as recognizing agriculture’s “vulnerability to energy interruptions and price volatility.”

The legislation passed the House (58-47) on May 12 and now awaits consideration on the House floor. 

Contact: Justin Tomei