Gun Law Trendwatch: Starting Strong in Michigan
The Michigan legislature passed—and its governor signed—new gun safety laws aimed to save lives across the state.
It’s a new year, which means one important thing: State legislatures across the country are officially in session.
But oddly enough, the first substantial gun safety actions of the year didn’t come from any of these new sessions—it came from the Michigan legislature’s lame duck session in December.
In December 2024, before the makeup of the legislature changed, Michigan legislators passed a number of bills to prevent children’s access to firearms, support community violence intervention programs, and prevent so-called “zombie guns.” And in January 2025, Governor Whitmer signed these bills into law.
Advocates were hoping for action on additional measures, including gun industry accountability and ghost guns, but these new laws still represent significant steps forward—especially on gun safety issues shown to directly affect Michiganders.
On November 30, 2021, a 15-year old student entered Oxford High School in Oxford Township, Michigan, armed with a 9mm Sig Sauer handgun and two 15-round magazines. He killed four students and injured seven people, including a teacher, before surrendering to law enforcement. He is currently serving life in prison.
An investigation found that his parents allowed him access to the firearm he used in the shooting, despite warning signs that he was a danger to others. They were subsequently convicted of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the shooting.
Kids & Guns
This massacre rocked the state and prompted residents and lawmakers alike to push for stronger gun safety laws. At the top of the list of demands was a safe storage law—an incredibly effective tool to curb gun deaths among children and teens that requires guns at home to be stored locked and unloaded.
Research shows that what happened at Oxford High School is not an isolated problem. Studies have found that more than half of all gun owners store at least one gun unsafely, and 4.6 million minors live in homes with at least one loaded, unlocked firearm. To help address this problem, the Michigan legislature passed and Governor Whitmer signed HB 5450 and 5451 to increase parent and guardian awareness of the need for safe firearm storage at home.
Under this law, the Department of Health and Human Services must develop an informational notice which includes the legal requirements for firearm storage in Michigan, answers to frequently asked questions, and guidance on where to obtain gun locks and safes, including free and low-cost options. All public and private schools must distribute the informational notice to the parent or legal guardian of each enrolled student.
A growing number of schools in communities across the country are taking similar steps, and last year the Biden administration called on school principals to start these conversations. Gun violence impacts each and every American, and our children are no exception. They deserve for us to do everything we can to protect their futures.
Michigan also joined other state legislatures in taking action against so-called “zombie guns.” In December 2023, a New York Times article revealed that gun buyback programs frequently do not lead to the complete destruction of the firearms that are turned in. Instead, a single piece with the gun’s serial number is often disposed of, while the remaining parts are sold off, reentering circulation—and fueling the ghost gun market.
In some cases, guns that were supposed to be disposed of have resurfaced in other crimes. After all, when only parts of a firearm are destroyed, it becomes much easier for individuals to obtain the other pieces without undergoing a background check.
Following informal investigations in their own states, California and Washington both passed laws in 2024 to ensure that these weapons are completely destroyed. The Michigan State Police also acknowledged that their own disposal methods previously destroyed only parts of the firearm.
In response, Governor Whitmer signed a legislative package that requires the Michigan State Police to completely destroy all firearms surrendered in buyback programs, including every part of the weapon.
This change also takes into consideration (but does not fully address) growing concerns about ghost guns—firearms that are built using parts from other weapons, 3D-printed parts, or kits. These unserialized and untraceable firearms present a unique challenge to public safety, and ordering all surrendered firearms completely destroyed helps curb the growing threat of these weapons.
The Michigan legislature was unable to enact a comprehensive ghost gun bill during last year’s lame-duck session, so while advocates are still pushing for stronger legislation, this package takes some steps toward reducing the dangers of ghost guns in the state. By ensuring that guns collected in buyback programs are permanently disposed of, Michigan is setting an example for the nation on how comprehensive gun violence prevention policies can save lives and create safer communities.
Community violence—which is often exacerbated by the use of firearms—is a pressing public health issue, and community violence intervention (CVI) programs, such as hospital-based violence intervention, street outreach, and intensive case management, often struggle to obtain sustainable funding. As a result, a growing number of states have looked to allow Medicaid reimbursement for the lifesaving services provided by certified violence prevention professionals.
Michigan joined this trend by signing HB 6046 into law, establishing a “violence prevention services” benefit within Michigan’s Medicaid program. By offering financial reimbursement for CVI services through Medicaid, HB 6046 will help ensure that violence prevention professionals can continue their essential work. According to The Health Alliance for Violence Intervention, this legislation makes Michigan the ninth state in the nation to leverage Medicaid for this purpose.
The benefit will be available to Medicaid patients who are at risk of violence, including individuals who have been personally injured, exposed to chronic community violence, or deemed at risk by licensed healthcare providers. Certified violence prevention professionals, trained in trauma-informed care, conflict mediation, and retaliation avoidance, will deliver these services.
This work not only helps disrupt cycles of violence, but also fosters recovery and improves outcomes for individuals and communities who have experienced the devastating effects of gun violence. Michigan took a critical step forward by passing this law.
Now that 2025 has really kicked off, state legislators across the country are stepping up to pass commonsense gun safety laws and improve the lives of their families, friends, and communities. Despite the actions of the federal government, each and every state has the power to take action and save lives. We must ensure that they do so—before the next tragedy strikes.
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