House Bill 4915, considered by the House Committee on Economic Competitiveness, would remove an existing requirement that license holders in multiple health professions complete implicit-bias training as a condition of licensure or renewal.

Representative Maddock introduced the bill; witnesses supporting the legislation included Dr. Aida Ciarindolo, an emergency medicine physician and volunteer with the advocacy group Do No Harm, and Kurt Miceli, medical director for Do No Harm Action. Dr. Ciarindolo told the committee that "implicit bias training does not promote ethical medical care nor the fair treatment of others" and criticized the implicit-association test (IAT) as lacking validity. Miceli said the mandate applies to "26 health care professions, nearly 400,000 health care professionals within the state of Michigan," and described the training as a recurring 2-to-3 hour requirement that diverts time and resources from clinically relevant continuing medical education. He said the training "places an undue burden" on providers and urged lawmakers to end the mandate, adding, "Michigan should not make a licensure contingent on affirming an ideology."

Committee members asked supporters about evidence of effectiveness. In reply, witnesses said they were unaware of reliable data showing implicit-bias trainings produce sustained improvements in care, and they criticized reliance on the IAT. Representative Kofia and others pressed witnesses on whether disparities exist and, if so, how best to address them; witnesses suggested focusing on clinical education and disease-specific interventions rather than the contested training methods.

The hearing record also included opposition cards read into the record: Danielle Atkinson of Mothering Justice and Paige Fultz of LARA were listed as opposing this bill in the submitted cards, and committee members noted those positions when moving on. LARA staff (Paige Fultz) earlier had described LARA's red-tape recommendations as a source for some bills and said LARA was consulting with lawmakers on language; in this hearing LARA's formal position on HB 4915 was not recorded as a supportive endorsement.

No committee vote was taken during the hearing. Sponsors and witnesses said discussions and additional fact-finding would continue if the committee advances the bill.