Michigan House Bill HB5731

Michigan 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/18/26
• Refer: 3/18/26

Caption

Health facilities: licensing; exemptions from the substance use disorder license requirement; include crisis stabilization units. Amends secs. 100a & 260 of 1974 PA 258 (MCL 330.1100a & 330.1260) & repeals sec. 973 of 1974 PA 258 (MCL 330.1973). TIE BAR WITH: HB 5729'26

Summary

House Bill 5731 amends the Michigan Mental Health Code to update statutory definitions in sections 100a and 260. The bill revises a broad set of terms used throughout the code, including definitions related to mental health services, developmental disability, assisted outpatient treatment, crisis stabilization units, community mental health entities, substance use disorder treatment, and involuntary treatment procedures. It also adds a definition of “conversion therapy” and clarifies several existing definitions with gender-neutral and other conforming language. A key policy change in the bill is the addition of “crisis stabilization unit” to the list of facilities or programs that are exempt from the substance use disorder licensure requirement, as reflected in the bill caption and the amended definitions in section 260. The bill also repeals section 973 of the Mental Health Code and is tie-barred to House Bill 5729, meaning it would not take effect unless the companion bill is enacted. Overall, the measure appears to be a technical and definitional update to align the code with current behavioral health service structures and terminology.

Impact

The bill would amend the Mental Health Code’s definitional sections, affecting how state agencies, courts, community mental health programs, hospitals, and substance use disorder providers interpret and apply the code. Its most direct legal effect is to expand the scope of facilities exempt from the substance use disorder license requirement to include crisis stabilization units, which could reduce regulatory burdens for those facilities. It also repeals MCL 330.1973 and makes the act contingent on enactment of HB 5729, so its legal effect depends on companion legislation becoming law.

Sentiment

No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no direct evidence of debate or formal support/opposition in the available record. Based on the bill text and caption, the measure appears largely administrative and technical, suggesting a generally neutral or procedural posture rather than a highly contested policy change. The inclusion of crisis stabilization units and updated behavioral health terminology indicates an effort to modernize the code, which may be viewed favorably by providers and system administrators.

Contention

The main point of potential contention is the expansion of licensure exemptions for crisis stabilization units, which could raise questions about oversight, patient safety, and the appropriate regulatory framework for substance use disorder services. Another possible area of sensitivity is the bill’s definition of conversion therapy, which touches on sexual orientation and gender identity and could draw differing views depending on stakeholders’ perspectives. Because the bill is tie-barred to HB 5729, any disagreement over the companion bill could also affect this bill’s fate.