Michigan House Bill HB4895

Michigan 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 9/11/25
• Refer: 9/11/25
• Report Pass: 11/5/25
• Report Pass: 12/16/25
• Engrossed: 12/17/25
• Refer: 1/14/26

Caption

Occupations: individual licensing and registration; continuing education requirements; allow to be fulfilled with online remote learning. Amends sec. 314 of 1980 PA 299 (MCL 339.314).

Summary

HB 4895 amends Michigan’s Occupational Code to require the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs to permit 100% of an occupation’s continuing education requirements to be completed through online or electronic media. The bill applies broadly to occupations regulated under the act and preserves the role of the relevant licensing board in helping set standards for acceptable online continuing education programs. Under the bill, a board must recommend approval or recognition of continuing education programs required by an article of the Occupational Code unless the board itself has approval authority. The department must adopt rules, in consultation with the applicable board, establishing standards for online or electronic continuing education programs. In practical terms, the bill removes any in-person or hybrid requirement for continuing education under the act and makes remote learning an available option for all required credits.

Impact

The bill would amend MCL 339.314 in the Occupational Code to explicitly authorize full completion of continuing education requirements through online or electronic media for regulated occupations. This affects licensing and renewal rules across occupations covered by the act, while leaving intact the department’s rulemaking authority and the advisory role of licensing boards in setting program standards. It would likely benefit licensees, training providers, and employers by increasing flexibility and access to continuing education.

Sentiment

The recorded votes suggest generally favorable support for the bill. It advanced out of committee unanimously in the available vote records and passed the House on third reading by a substantial margin, including an immediate-effect roll call. No committee transcripts were provided, so there is no detailed discussion record, but the vote history indicates broad agreement that the measure is a practical modernization of continuing education rules.

Contention

The main point of potential contention is whether all continuing education requirements should be allowed online with no in-person component. Supporters likely view the bill as a modernization that improves convenience, access, and compliance, especially for working professionals and rural residents. Any opposition would likely center on concerns about instructional quality, hands-on learning, or whether certain professions should retain in-person training standards; however, the available vote totals show limited recorded resistance.