House education committee advances school-safety package; OK to Say tip line to appear on student IDs and quarterly tip reports ordered

The House Committee on Education and Workforce advanced multiple bills from a broader school-safety package, moving substitutes and reporting measures that would place the "Okay to Say" tip-line number on student identification cards and require quarterly compilation and reporting of tips to the School Safety and Mental Health Commission.

Committee consideration began with testimony from Representative Steele, sponsor of one of the bills tied to the "Okay to Say" tip line. "This tip line has been very helpful and since its implementation there was like 300 calls and now it's worked its way up to almost 12,000 calls," Representative Steele said, and described the specific provision he presented: printing the tip-line number on student identification cards so students and school community members have a discreet way to report concerns.

Gabrielle, appearing on behalf of Representative Neely's office, described House Bill 42 29 as a complementary measure. "House Bill 42 29 will require the office of school safety to compile and report any tips, defined in 42 59, to [the] School Safety and Mental Health Commission," Gabrielle said, adding that reports would be provided quarterly so the commission can better understand issues facing schools.

Representative Wilson asked whether placing the tip-line number on ID cards would create a statewide cost. "This wouldn't be any kind of...cost to the state, right? Because they're already getting student IDs at the schools, or is this something that you're expecting that the state has to pay for something?" Wilson asked. Representative Steele said he did not know at the moment whether a fiscal analysis had been completed but later the committee clerk indicated that the school would absorb the cost.

An unidentified commenter who referenced Macomb County praised programs like "Okay to Say," saying they can help keep students out of trouble and make it easier for school staff or peers to report concerns discreetly. The commenter noted that school liaisons and local police have seen the program prevent escalation of dangerous situations.

Beyond the testimony, committee members approved a string of substitutes and then voted to report multiple bills from the package to the next stage with recommendations. Recorded actions in committee included adoption of substitutes clarifying definitions and implementation details (for example, a substitute to define "tip" under the School Safety Act and a substitute requiring the Michigan State Police to notify a school within 24 hours to the main or after-hours phone number if the MSP can identify the school from a tip). The committee's clerk read written positions from several organizations, including the Michigan Association of School Boards, Michigan PTA, Michigan Association of Non-Public Schools and the Michigan Catholic Conference; those written cards indicated mixed support across the package's bills.

Votes at a glance (as recorded in the committee transcript): - House Bill 42 22 (substitute H2) — reported with recommendation; tally recorded in transcript as 6 yeas, 0 nays, 5 pass. - House Bill 42 26 (substitute H1) — reported with recommendation; tally recorded as 6 yeas, 1 nay, 4 pass. - House Bill 42 27 (substitute H2) — reported with recommendation; tally recorded as 6 yeas, 2 nays, 3 pass. - House Bill 42 58 (substitute H1) — reported with recommendation; tally recorded as 9 yeas, 0 nays. (H1 requires MSP to notify identified schools within 24 hours to a main or after‑hours number.) - House Bill 42 59 — reported with recommendation; tally recorded as 9 yeas, 0 nays.

The committee closed out by reporting the bills and adjourning. The measures will move forward per the committee's reporting; the transcript does not record final chamber passage or enactment timelines.

Ending: Committee members indicated they will continue consideration of related school-safety legislation in subsequent floor and committee steps; no formal implementation dates were recorded in the committee transcript.