Senate Bill 134 would restore power to MI Consumer Protection Act, Office of Attorney General
LANSING, Mich. (March 7, 2025) — As part of National Consumer Protection Week, Senate Majority Floor Leader Sam Singh (D-East Lansing) introduced Senate Bill 134 this week to bolster protections for Michigan consumers by restoring power to the Michigan Consumer Protection Act.
The once-powerful act — gutted following a 1999 Michigan Supreme Court ruling — currently condones deceptive, fraudulent activity of individuals and businesses so long as they act within a profession that is government-regulated. Sen. Singh’s legislation would remove those exemptions as well as equip the Michigan Dept. of Attorney General with the authority to investigate, ensuring bad actors and harmful business practices can be held accountable under state law.
“It’s unacceptable that Michigan has the worst consumer protection laws in the country, leaving consumers ill-protected against bad actors who seek to take advantage of them as they go about their day-to-day business,” said Sen. Singh. “This legislation adds teeth to our Consumer Protection Act, restoring power to the Attorney General’s Office to safeguard Michigan consumers — particularly our vulnerable and elderly adults — from deceitful and harmful activities.”
In addition to restoring strong consumer protection efforts to the state Attorney General’s office, Senate Bill 134 would also create a new fund to support enforcement and education efforts to assist residents and reduce scams. And, following consumer protection best practices, this legislation would create increased penalties for violations against elderly and vulnerable adults.
“State law enforcement has been at the front lines of stopping fraud and abuse that picks the pockets of families trying to get by,” said Rohit Chopra, former Director of the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. “Michigan needs strong laws to protect consumers, especially at a time when federal law enforcement agencies face mass firings and less capacity to investigate crime.”
This legislation is a response to the Michigan Supreme Court 1999 case decision in Smith v. Globe Life Insurance Company, which weakened the power of the Michigan Consumer Protection Act by exempting many industries from liability, leaving residents ill-protected from scams and other deceptive activity.
The bill introduced yesterday continues Sen. Singh and Senate Democrats’ efforts last session to better protect Michigan Consumers. Additional legislation to protect personal and private data and reduce price gouging is expected in the coming months.
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