Weapons: concealed; weapon-free zones; include all buildings owned or leased by this state. Amends sec. 5o of 1927 PA 372 (MCL 28.425o).
House Bill 5741 would amend Michigan’s concealed pistol law to expand the list of places where a person licensed to carry a concealed pistol, or otherwise exempt from licensure, may not carry a concealed or visible pistol. The bill adds all buildings owned or leased by the state to the existing list of weapon-free zones, while continuing to allow carry in parking areas. It also retains the prohibition on carrying electro-muscular disruption devices in those same locations.
The bill keeps in place the current prohibited locations such as schools, child care centers, sports arenas, bars and taverns meeting the liquor-sales test, places of worship, large entertainment facilities, hospitals, college dormitories and classrooms, the state Capitol grounds, financial institutions, theatres, public libraries, and courts. It also preserves and restates several exceptions for certain trained or authorized individuals, including retired law enforcement, security personnel, private investigators, corrections officers, judges, court officers, peace officers, and others with specific departmental weapons authorization. Violations remain subject to escalating penalties ranging from a civil infraction to misdemeanor and felony charges, along with mandatory suspension or revocation of a concealed pistol license.
If enacted, the bill would broaden Michigan’s firearm-restricted premises law by making all state-owned or state-leased buildings weapon-free zones for concealed pistol carry, except for shooting ranges owned, operated, or leased by the state. This would directly affect concealed pistol license holders and exempt individuals, as well as state agencies and building occupants, by prohibiting carry inside a wider set of government facilities while leaving parking areas unaffected. The bill does not alter the underlying licensing framework, but it does reinforce and expand the statutory list of restricted places and associated enforcement penalties under 1927 PA 372, MCL 28.425o.
Based on the bill’s title and text, the measure appears to reflect a public-safety-oriented approach to firearm regulation, with a focus on limiting weapons in government buildings and other sensitive locations. No committee transcript or recorded vote information was provided, so there is no direct evidence of debate, amendments, or partisan alignment in the available materials. The bill’s structure suggests it was drafted as a targeted expansion of existing weapon-free zones rather than a wholesale rewrite of concealed carry law.
The main point of contention is likely the expansion of prohibited carry locations to include all state-owned or state-leased buildings, which could be viewed by supporters as a security measure and by opponents as an additional restriction on lawful concealed carry. Another likely issue is the breadth of the exceptions, which preserve carry rights for a range of law enforcement, corrections, judicial, and security personnel; these carve-outs may be seen as necessary by proponents but as uneven treatment by critics. Because no hearing transcript or vote record is available, specific arguments from legislators, stakeholders, or advocacy groups cannot be identified from the provided materials.