MEMORIAL HIGHWAY REQUIREMENTS S.B. 708 & 709:
SUMMARY OF INTRODUCED BILL
IN COMMITTEE
Senate Bills 708 and 709 (as introduced 11-13-25)
Sponsor: Senator Veronica Klinefelt (S.B. 708)
Senator Erika Geiss (S.B. 709)
Committee: Transportation and Infrastructure
CONTENT
Senate Bill 708 would amend the Michigan Memorial Highway Act to do the following:
-- Limit the number of pieces of infrastructure that could receive a memorial designation to 10 per calendar year.
-- Require a piece of infrastructure that received a memorial designation under the Act to retain that designation for at least 10 years.
Senate Bill 709 would amend the Michigan Memorial Highway Act to establish requirements that the subject of a proposed memorial designation would have to meet to qualify for the memorial designation.
The bills are tie-barred.
Senate Bill 708
Generally, the Act allows the Michigan Legislature to grant memorial designations to highways, freeways, bridges, overpasses, interchanges, and trails. For example, the State enacted Public Act 220 of 2024, which designated a portion of Highway I-94 as the Corporal Mohamed Said Memorial Highway.
The bill would limit the number of pieces of infrastructure that could receive a memorial designation to 10 per calendar year. A piece of infrastructure designated under the Act would have to remain so designated for at least 10 years. Additionally, a memorial designation could only be made for an eligible subject as prescribed in Senate Bill 709.
Senate Bill 709
Under the bill, a memorial designation could be made only for a subject that met the following conditions:
-- Was an individual, a group of individuals, an organization, a mass-casualty event, a military unit, a military operation, a military event, or a military award.
-- Was historically or culturally significant to the State or the United States.
-- If designated for an individual, group of individuals, or organization, the individual was deceased.
-- If designated for a service member, the service member died in the line of duty.
-- If designated for a group of individuals, organization, military unit, military operation, military event, or military award, the mission or purpose of that subject was directly
-- related to one or more individuals who were public service officers or service members killed in the line of duty.
Proposed MCL 250.1001a (S.B. 708)
Proposed MCL 250.1001b (S.B. 709)
PREVIOUS LEGISLATION
(This section does not provide a comprehensive account of previous legislative efforts on this subject matter.)
Senate Bill 709 is similar to Senate Bill 964 from the 2021-2022 Legislative Session.
Legislative Analyst: Abby Schneider
FISCAL IMPACT
The bills would have no fiscal impact on the State or local governments.