Civil procedure: other; certain references in the revised judicature act; make gender neutral. Amends secs. 1410, 2005, 2162, 2807, 3344, 5451, 6023a & 6131 of 1961 PA 236 (MCL 600.1410 et seq.). TIE BAR WITH: HJR F'25
House Bill 4628 is a technical, non-substantive cleanup bill that updates several provisions of Michigan’s Revised Judicature Act to use gender-neutral language. Across multiple sections, it replaces references such as “husband” and “wife” with “spouse,” and “married woman” with “individual,” while preserving the underlying legal rules. The bill touches a wide range of civil procedure and property-law provisions, including spousal witness privileges, tort liability involving spouses, tenancy by the entirety, bankruptcy exemptions, homestead protections, and fraudulent conveyance procedures.
The bill’s practical effect is to modernize statutory wording without changing the core operation of the laws cited. It would affect how courts, litigants, creditors, bankruptcy debtors, and property owners read and apply these sections, especially in areas involving marriage, joint property, and exemptions from execution or bankruptcy. The bill is tied to a proposed constitutional amendment, and it would not take effect unless the related joint resolution becomes part of the state constitution.
The general sentiment reflected by the bill text and available context appears neutral to favorable. Because the measure is framed as a gender-neutral drafting update, it is likely intended to be administrative and noncontroversial, with the goal of conforming older statutory language to modern usage and inclusive terminology. No committee testimony or recorded votes were provided, so there is no evidence of substantive opposition in the available materials.
The main point of contention, to the extent one exists, is procedural rather than policy-based: the bill is tied to a separate constitutional amendment, meaning its effectiveness depends on that companion measure. Otherwise, the bill does not appear to alter rights, liabilities, or exemptions in a way that would create major policy disputes. Any debate would likely center on the technical necessity of the language changes and the tie-bar mechanism rather than the substance of the underlying laws.
HB4628 would amend multiple sections of the Revised Judicature Act to replace gender-specific terms with gender-neutral terms and to update references to spouses, individuals, and former spouses. The affected statutes cover spousal testimony privileges, tort actions involving spouses, judgment liens and tenancy by the entirety, bankruptcy exemptions, homestead protections, and fraudulent transfer proceedings. The bill does not appear to change the substantive legal standards in those provisions, but it would revise how the statutes are written and interpreted in modern terms. It is contingent on a related constitutional amendment, so it would not take effect unless the tie-barred resolution is adopted.
The available context suggests a generally neutral and likely favorable sentiment. The bill is presented as a technical modernization measure intended to make the Revised Judicature Act gender neutral, which typically draws limited controversy. No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no direct evidence of opposition or support beyond the bill’s framing. The absence of substantive policy changes suggests the measure would likely be viewed as housekeeping legislation rather than a contested reform.
The principal issue is the bill’s tie-bar to a proposed constitutional amendment, which makes its enactment dependent on separate constitutional action. That procedural dependency could be a point of concern for legislators who prefer standalone statutory changes or who object to linking a technical cleanup bill to a broader constitutional package. Otherwise, the bill’s changes are largely stylistic and inclusive in nature, and the available materials do not show disputes over the underlying legal rules on spousal privileges, property exemptions, or bankruptcy protections.