House committee hears resolution urging state agencies to report annually on adverse childhood experiences

Representative John Wozniak told the Michigan House Families and Veterans Committee on the record that he is sponsoring House Concurrent Resolution 1, which urges the governor to direct state agencies to evaluate how their programs reduce adverse childhood experiences and to report annually on progress.

Wozniak said ACEs — including abuse, neglect and household instability — are “among the most significant predictors of lifelong health and social outcomes,” and he cited committee-level statistics that nearly 70 percent of Michigan adults report at least one ACE and one in five report four or more. He told the committee the resolution aims to add oversight and transparency so agencies invest in proven, prevention-focused policies.

Lisa Farnham, managing director of the Michigan Association of Health Plans Foundation, testified in support and described statewide ACEs training and local programs that apply trauma-informed approaches. Farnham cited the Dearborn Veterans Treatment Court’s creative-arts program as an example that has achieved full program completion and measurable increases in community connection and well-being, and she said those outcomes mirror the goals of HCR 1.

Committee members asked several clarifying questions. Representative Burns asked which administrative agencies the resolution would affect; Wozniak replied the term “administrative agencies” is meant broadly but clarified in committee discussion that the resolution is specifically designed to apply to schools and the Department of Education as written and could be amended to name other agencies if members wish. Representative Rankin asked whether the resolution would address only the original 10 ACEs from early studies or also broader “expanded ACEs” (poverty, discrimination, community violence, foster care, etc.). Wozniak and Farnham said trainings begin with the original 10 ACEs but have in practice incorporated social determinants such as homelessness and food insecurity and that the resolution’s intent is to include factors that demonstrably affect lifelong outcomes.

The clerk read a list of organizations who submitted cards in support, including the Michigan Association of Health Plans, the Michigan chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Michigan Federation for Children and Families, the Michigan Council for Maternal and Child Health and other local advocacy groups.

There was no formal committee vote on HCR 1 recorded in the hearing transcript. Committee members thanked the witnesses and indicated staff and sponsors would consider clarifying language about which agencies and which ACE measures the resolution covers before further action.

Why it matters: ACEs are linked in public-health research to higher rates of depression, chronic disease and substance-use disorders; the resolution would create an annual public report intended to measure whether state programs reduce those adverse experiences and to guide resource allocation toward effective prevention strategies.