By Danielle James
mlive.com
LANSING, Mich. — A Republican-led bill package would create new penalties for individuals who come within 25 feet of first responders and “impede, interfere with, threaten or harass them.”
The three-bill package establishes what has been called in other states a “halo” law, referring to a protective perimeter around emergency personnel.
| NEW RESOURCE: Performance stations: Design for health, resilience and readiness
The legislation received bipartisan support when it passed the state House on Tuesday, June 9. It will now move to the Senate, despite concern from some Democrats that it could infringe on free speech.
Michigan law already prohibits individuals from assaulting, obstructing or endangering first responders and law enforcement officers, but the bills would expand provisions to also include harassment.
Bill sponsor Rep. Alicia St. Germaine, R- Harrison Township, said the change is necessary to stop a growing trend where first responders “are being singled out, intimidated or harassed simply because of the uniform they wear.”
“This bill establishes a reasonable boundary,” St. Germaine said, “so first responders can focus on protecting the public, not managing unnecessary distractions, not on someone who is antagonizing or refusing a lawful order to step back.”
St. Germaine did not point to one specific incident prompting the legislation.
But several Democratic lawmakers who opposed the package said they had concerns about the bills’ potential impact on free speech and the ability of residents to observe and record law enforcement.
Rep. Dylan Wegela, D- Garden City, who voted against the legislation, said he was concerned about vague language not detailing how the 25-foot buffer zone could be interpreted, including in cases where individuals are filming police for accountability.
He also pointed to protests in recent months resulting in interactions with law enforcement. If law enforcement officers moved closer to protesters, their options would be a cooling of free speech or an arrest.
Rep. Emily Dievendorf, D- Lansing, said it would be “irresponsible to enact legislation that could put us on track to further restrict public oversight.”
St. Germaine pushed back on this argument during Tuesday, June 9 testimony on the House floor. She said the bill doesn’t end accountability or stop recording, “it just creates a buffer.”
Her House Bill 5574 amends the state penal code, making it a new offense if an individual approaches a first responder performing their duties after receiving a verbal warning.
To break the law, the individual would have to approach and remain within 25 feet of the first responder with the intent to interfere with their job, harass or threaten them with physical harm.
A violation would be a 60-day, $500 misdemeanor, unless the first responder is injured, which would be a two-year, $1,000 felony.
If the violation causes the death of the first responder, the crime would be a 15-year, $7,500 felony. House Bill 5576 sets up those penalties.
Bill sponsor Rep. Mike Harris, R- Waterford Township, said the bills would address difficulties with recruiting and retaining public safety personnel.
He called the legislation a necessary protection for individuals frequently entering “chaotic, dangerous situations.”
Harris’ House Bill 5575 defines first responders to include law enforcement officers, corrections officers, firefighters and emergency medical service personnel, the last of which refers to medical first responders, emergency medical technicians and technician specialists, paramedics and EMS instructor-coordinators.
Dievendorf said some Democrats offered an amendment to restrict the bills to EMS and firefighters. The amendment was not successful.
“We can and should protect first responders without undermining constitutional rights or limiting the public’s ability to hold government actors accountable,” she said. “Unfortunately, these bills did not pass that essential test.”
Dievendorf said she believes the bills are “likely unconstitutional.”
According to House Fiscal Agency analysis, other states have adopted similar buffer zone laws, including Arizona, Florida, Indiana, Louisiana and Tennessee, some of which have been blocked by courts on constitutional grounds.
At the federal level, Senate Bill 3179 was introduced in late 2025, providing similar protections for federal immigration enforcement officers. The bill has not yet moved.
Michigan’s legislation was supported by the Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police, Michigan Fraternal Order of Police and Michigan Sheriffs’ Association.
Michael Sauger, president of the Michigan Fraternal Order of Police, said the bills provide narrowly-tailored protections that preserve “lawful free speech and constitutional rights.
“These measures do not prevent public observation or criticism of government officials,” he said. “Rather, they establish clear boundaries against conduct intended to intimidate, threaten, obstruct or harass first responders performing their lawful duties.”
The bills were opposed by the ACLU of Michigan and the Criminal Defense Attorneys of Michigan.
©2026 Advance Local Media LLC.
Visit mlive.com.
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
