Michigan House Bill HB5531

Michigan 2023-2024 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/29/24
• Refer: 2/29/24

Caption

Education: students; registry of student death on school property; create. Amends 1978 PA 368 (MCL 333.1101 - 333.25211) by adding sec. 2620.

Impact

The introduction of this bill is expected to impact state laws by formally requiring the monitoring and public reporting of student deaths. The legislation emphasizes a structured approach to documenting such occurrences, making it potentially easier to analyze trends in student safety and health on school grounds. Furthermore, the department will be tasked with publishing summarized records of these incidents starting from August 1, 2025, enhancing transparency in school safety measures.

Summary

House Bill 5531 aims to amend the 1978 PA 368, known as the Public Health Code, by establishing a registry for recording student deaths that occur on school property in Michigan. This bill mandates the state department to maintain comprehensive records of these incidents, ensuring that data collected is handled with confidentiality. Each student death will need to be reported to the department, which will outline specific rules for reporting, including the cause of death and the manner of reporting.

Contention

While the bill is primarily aimed at improving student safety and accountability, there may be varying viewpoints regarding privacy and the implications of publicly reporting such deaths. Concerns may arise about the sensitivity of the data being collected and the potential stigma associated with a school's statistical record of fatalities. The bill could lead to debates about balancing the need for transparency with the right to privacy for affected families, raising ethical discussions in legislative and educational circles.