Whitmer signs bills to improve housing access, combat human trafficking and support data centers

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer delivers her State of the State address to members of the Michigan Legislature in Lansing on Jan. 24, 2024. (Photo by Andrew Roth)

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer put her signature Monday to legislation aimed at increasing access to housing, updating the process for gathering evidence to prosecute human trafficking and sexual assault and extending a tax exemption for investments into data center equipment. 

Senate Bills 205 and 206 bar landlords with five or more rental units from discriminating against a tenant or prospective tenant based on their source of income, including housing assistance or veterans’ benefits, while Senate Bill 207 amends the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act, allowing individuals who have faced housing discrimination due to their source of income to file a complaint with the Michigan Department of Civil Rights. 

According to Whitmer’s office, these new laws are expected to help 34,290 families access housing, and will reduce barriers individuals face when seeking a place to live. 

Whitmer also signed Senate Bills 515–517, which aim to combat human trafficking and bring justice for survivors of sexual assault. Senate Bill 515 creates a hearsay exception allowing statements made by human trafficking survivors to law enforcement to be used as evidence in a criminal case while Senate Bill 516 allows a defendant’s previous acts of domestic violence, sexual assault, commercial sexual activity or human trafficking to be used as evidence when relevant in prosecuting those crimes.

Senate Bill 517 amends the Michigan Penal Code, no longer requiring testimony from a victim when prosecuting human trafficking, while the testimony of a victim who does testify in court does not have to be corroborated. 

The bill also offers immunity for human trafficking supporters testifying against the perpetrator, ensuring their testimony cannot be used as evidence against them in a criminal case. 

Whitmer also signed Senate Bill 248, which expands the age limit for individuals to have a courtroom support dog from 16 to 18, expanding the range of individuals who can receive support when testifying in cases of child abuse, neglect and physical or sexual assault. 

Senate Bill 237, which extends the sunset period on a use and sales tax exemption for equipment used in data centers, also received the governor’s signature. Under the new law, the exemption will remain in place through Dec. 31, 2050, creating the same exemption for enterprise data centers. Data centers constructed on a brownfield or the site of a former electrical power plant will receive the same tax exemption through Dec. 31, 2065.