Michigan Senate Bill SB0841

Michigan 2025-2026 Regular Session

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

Caption

Criminal procedure: sentencing guidelines; guidelines for firearm sale without accompanying safety device; revise cross reference to reflect amendment of other section of law. Amends sec. 11b, ch. XVII of 1927 PA 175 (MCL 777.11b). TIE BAR WITH: SB 0843'26

Summary

Senate Bill 841 amends Michigan’s sentencing guidelines statute, MCL 777.11b, which lists felony offenses covered by Chapter XVII of the Code of Criminal Procedure and assigns each offense a crime class and statutory maximum. The bill updates the cross-reference table of covered felonies to reflect changes in other parts of the Michigan Compiled Laws and, according to the caption, revises the guidelines for the offense involving the sale of a firearm without an accompanying safety device. It also includes a tie-bar provision stating that it does not take effect unless Senate Bill 843 is enacted into law. The bill’s practical effect is to adjust how certain offenses are treated at sentencing by ensuring the guidelines table matches current substantive law. The listed offenses include a range of public-order, public-safety, property, and public-trust crimes such as false statements on identification or firearm-related applications, firearm storage violations, fireworks violations, sex offender registration offenses, and false reports of public threats or child abductions. By amending the sentencing grid reference, the bill affects judges, prosecutors, defense counsel, and defendants in cases involving these offenses.

Impact

SB 841 would amend Michigan’s criminal sentencing guidelines by updating the list of felonies subject to Chapter XVII and their associated offense classifications and statutory maximums. The bill primarily affects MCL 777.11b and related sentencing calculations, with particular attention to firearm-sale offenses involving missing safety devices, while also maintaining cross-references to a broader set of offenses involving identification fraud, firearm licensing, firearm storage, fireworks safety, sex offender registration, and related public-safety crimes. Because it is tie-barred to SB 843, its legal effect depends on enactment of that companion bill.

Sentiment

The available record suggests the bill is a technical, policy-linked sentencing measure rather than a broadly controversial proposal. The caption indicates it is intended to align sentencing guidelines with other statutory changes, which typically draws support from lawmakers seeking consistency in the criminal code. No committee transcripts or vote totals are provided, so there is no documented floor or committee debate in the materials supplied.

Contention

The main point of potential contention is the bill’s tie-bar to SB 843, meaning SB 841 cannot take effect on its own and is part of a package. That structure can be significant if lawmakers disagree about the companion bill or about whether the sentencing change should proceed independently. Substantively, the bill touches firearm-related offenses and other public-safety crimes, so any disagreement would likely center on whether the revised sentencing treatment is appropriately strict or whether the cross-reference changes are purely technical.