Michigan Enacts Sweeping Gun Safety and School Security Laws

LANSING, Mich. — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed a series of gun safety and school security bills into law Wednesday, marking a significant step in the state’s efforts to reduce gun violence and enhance school safety. The new laws include measures to ensure the complete destruction of firearms collected in buyback programs, establish standardized emergency response protocols in schools, and expand hate crime protections.

“Michiganders should feel safe whether they’re watching a movie at home or heading into the classroom,” Whitmer said in a statement. “Each of these bills builds on my administration’s commitment to protecting Michiganders and their families.”

The legislation requires the Michigan State Police to destroy all parts of firearms collected through buyback programs, closing a loophole that previously allowed some parts to be resold. This change follows a 2023 investigation by The New York Times, which revealed that the state police had been the largest client of a company that recycled and sold firearm components.

Col. James Grady II, director of the Michigan State Police, affirmed the agency’s commitment to the new policy. “Our current practice of destroying all parts of the firearm will remain the standard now and for the future,” Grady said. In 2023, the state police handled more than 11,000 firearms, according to spokesperson Shanon Banner.

In addition to gun safety measures, the new laws address school security. House Bills 4095 and 4096 mandate standardized emergency response terms for schools, while House Bill 5549 requires school boards to establish behavior threat assessment and management teams by fall 2026. These teams will include school administrators, mental health professionals, and law enforcement officials to identify and address potential threats.

House Bills 5659 and 5660 create a school safety and mental health commission to recommend policies on youth suicide prevention and safe school construction. Another set of bills expands Michigan’s hate crime law to include protections based on sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, age, and ethnicity. The legislation also introduces community service as a potential sentencing requirement for hate crime offenders.

Michigan’s new safe storage law, aimed at keeping firearms out of children’s hands, imposes criminal penalties if a child injures or kills themselves or others with an unsecured firearm. Firearms were the leading cause of death for Michigan children in 2022, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The package of laws also criminalizes sextortion, defined as threatening to create or disseminate sexually explicit images or videos to coerce someone. First-time offenders face up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine, with harsher penalties for targeting minors or causing serious harm.

Rev. Chris Yaw of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Southfield, which has hosted gun buyback events, praised the new laws. “Guns said to be destroyed should be completely destroyed,” Yaw said. “That’s what Michiganders want and expect.”

Whitmer also signed bills extending the statute of limitations for certain criminal sexual conduct charges, providing Medicaid coverage for community violence prevention services, and increasing funding for ambulance services for Medicaid recipients.