Michigan House Bill HB5447

Michigan 2023-2024 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/14/24
• Refer: 2/14/24

Caption

State agencies (existing): generally; certain writings requesting racial or ethnic identification; require collection and reporting of certain data. Amends secs. 206a & 299 of 1984 PA 431 (MCL 18.1206a & 18.1299). TIE BAR WITH: HB 5448'24

Impact

The proposed amendments will have significant implications for state policies and reporting requirements. By incorporating these new classifications, state agencies will need to adjust their data collection methods, which may affect how demographic data is reported to the federal government and utilized for various administrative purposes. This enhancement in data collection practices seeks to improve the inclusivity of state statistics, which may impact funding, resource allocation, and policy decisions across multiple sectors, including education and healthcare.

Summary

House Bill 5447 aims to amend the management and budget act of 1984 (PA 431) by updating the methods through which state agencies collect and report racial and ethnic classifications. The bill mandates that state agencies include the classification 'multiracial' in their data collection practices while simultaneously removing the term 'other'. Furthermore, it requires the inclusion of 'Middle Eastern or North African' as an ethnicity category when collecting demographic data. These changes reflect a growing recognition of the diverse identities within Michigan's population, aiming to provide a more accurate representation in state records.

Contention

While the bill's intent is to increase inclusivity, it may also encounter challenges related to the implementation of these new classifications. Some critics may argue that the proposed changes could complicate the data collection process and lead to inconsistencies in reporting. Furthermore, there may be debates about whether the new classifications can adequately capture the diversity of the population or if they might lead to confusion among respondents. Stakeholders may have differing opinions on how these changes will affect the overall effectiveness of racial and ethnic data in policymaking.