ELIMINATE COHABITATION PROHIBITION S.B. 56:
SUMMARY OF INTRODUCED BILL
IN COMMITTEE
Senate Bill 56 (as introduced 2-7-23) (Senate-passed version)
Sponsor: Senator Stephanie Chang
Committee: Civil Rights, Judiciary, and Public Safety
CONTENT
The bill would amend the Michigan Penal Code to delete a provision that prohibits a man and woman, who are not married to each other, from lewdly and lasciviously associating and cohabitating together. The bill would retain a provision that prohibits any individual, married or unmarried, from engaging in open and gross lewdness and lascivious behavior.
Each offense is a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year's imprisonment and/or a maximum fine of $1,000. A prosecution of either offense may not be commenced after one year from the time of the violation.
PREVIOUS LEGISLATION
(Please note: The information in this summary provides a cursory overview of previous legislation and its progress. It does not provide a comprehensive account of all previous legislative efforts on the relevant subject matter.)
The bill is a reintroduction; the same or similar versions of the current bill have been introduced in nearly every session since the 2015-2016 Legislation Session. In that session, Senate Bill 896 was reported out of the Senate Committee on Judiciary, but it received no further action.
Legislative Analyst: Jeff Mann
FISCAL IMPACT
The bill likely would have no fiscal impact on State or local government. A decrease in misdemeanor arrests and convictions could lead to decreased demands on local court systems, law enforcement, and jails, as well as decreased fine revenue dedicated to public libraries; however, the last time a person was charged under this section of the Code is not known.
Fiscal Analyst: Joe Carrasco, Jr.
This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.