Bill > SB0154

This bill establishes the "Access to Health Facilities Act," which aims to protect access to reproductive health services by prohibiting certain behaviors that interfere with, intimidate, or obstruct individuals seeking or providing these services. The bill defines key terms such as "health facility" (including medical facilities and pharmacies that provide reproductive health services), "interfere with" (restricting an individual's movement), "intimidate" (causing reasonable apprehension of bodily harm), and "physical obstruction" (blocking or making access to a health facility unreasonably difficult). The legislation creates criminal penalties for individuals who intentionally injure, intimidate, or interfere with people accessing or providing reproductive health services, with escalating penalties for repeat offenses. First-time offenses are generally misdemeanors punishable by up to one year in jail and/or a $10,000 fine, while subsequent offenses can be felonies with potential prison terms of up to three years and fines up to $25,000. More severe penalties apply for actions resulting in bodily injury or death. The bill also allows for civil actions by aggrieved parties, including potential statutory damages of $5,000 per violation, and enables government attorneys to bring civil actions with potential fines. Importantly, the bill explicitly protects peaceful, constitutionally protected forms of expression like picketing and does not interfere with local ordinances regarding reproductive health services.

Government Affairs, Justice

https://legislature.mi.gov/Bills/Bill?ObjectName=2025-SB-0154