Representative Paquette presented House Bill 4284, which would lower the concealed pistol license renewal fee to $30 to better align with the administrative cost of processing renewals. He said renewal fees vary by county (reported examples ranged from roughly $8 to $28 per county for processing) and noted Michigan’s $115 renewal fee places the state among the highest in the nation.

Paquette said county processing costs differ and that the state police’s electronic option could incur additional costs that the Michigan State Police (MSP) should absorb in its budget rather than being passed to applicants. ‘‘I could say that I'm kinda like a grandpa on his porch shouting about how renewal fees for CPLs are too dang high,’’ Paquette said, summarizing his pitch.

Representatives of firearm‑owner and training organizations testified in support. Witnesses said high fees can be a barrier for low‑income applicants, women (who now make a larger share of CPL holders), seniors and residents in high‑crime areas. Brady Schickinger (Michigan Coalition for Responsible Gun Owners) and others argued lowering fees would encourage compliance and reduce carrying on expired licenses, which is a felony under current law.

Tom Lambert and Casey Armitage (Michigan Open Carry) provided historical context on fee revenues and reporting by the state police and said aligning fees with actual costs reduces the risk of legal challenges; Lambert cited state police reporting that showed a sizable margin between revenue and reported expenses for the state police portion of fees.

Supporters urged the committee to advance the bill; Rep Paquette and proponents said they are willing to work on technical details and county reporting to ensure the fee tracks administrative costs. The transcript shows testimony and questions but does not record a committee vote on the bill during this session.