Weapons: other; definition of dangerous weapon; provide for. Amends sec. 227 of 1931 PA 328 (MCL 750.227).
HB5515 amends section 227 of the Michigan Penal Code, which governs the carrying of concealed weapons and certain weapons in vehicles. The bill restates and updates the list of prohibited weapons, including daggers, dirks, stilettos, double-edged nonfolding stabbing instruments with blades longer than 6 inches, and other dangerous weapons longer than 6 inches, while preserving exceptions for hunting and fishing knives carried as such. It also continues the existing prohibition on carrying a concealed pistol, or carrying a pistol in a vehicle, without a valid license, except in the person’s dwelling, place of business, or land possessed by the person.
The bill maintains the current felony penalty for violations: up to 5 years’ imprisonment, a fine of up to $2,500, or both. In practical terms, it affects individuals carrying certain knives, stabbing instruments, and pistols, as well as law enforcement and courts enforcing Michigan’s weapons laws. The caption indicates the bill is intended to provide for the definition of “dangerous weapon,” suggesting a clarifying or definitional update to existing law rather than a wholesale rewrite of the weapons code.
HB5515 would amend MCL 750.227 in the Michigan Penal Code, preserving the core restrictions on concealed carry and vehicle carry of specified weapons while updating the statutory language around dangerous weapons. It would continue to make unlicensed concealed pistol carry, and certain prohibited knife or stabbing weapon carry, a felony offense, and would leave intact the existing exceptions for a person’s home, business, or land possessed by the person, as well as hunting and fishing knives adapted and carried for those purposes.
The available voting history suggests the bill had moderate support but not unanimity in committee, passing 7-3 with a recommendation for a substitute (H-1). With no committee transcript available, there is no recorded debate to indicate detailed public arguments, but the vote pattern implies general agreement on the need to revise or clarify the weapons statute alongside some opposition or concern from a minority of members.
The main likely point of contention is how broadly the law defines and restricts “dangerous weapons,” especially the inclusion of certain knives and other stabbing instruments with blades longer than 6 inches. Another potential area of disagreement is the continued felony treatment of violations and the scope of concealed-carry restrictions in vehicles. The 7-3 committee vote indicates that while most members supported the substitute, a smaller group had reservations about the bill’s approach to weapons regulation or the breadth of the prohibited categories.