Kathleen Gray

Detroit Free Press Lansing Bureau

LANSING — Under Michigan law, it's legal for police to have sex with prostitutes during an undercover investigation, but state Rep. Gary Glenn, R-Midland, introduced a bill last week that would end that exemption.

Michigan is the only state in the nation to still provide immunity from prosecution for cops who have sex with prostitutes during an investigation, said University of Michigan law professor Bridgette Carr, who works with the university's Human Trafficking clinic. It was an exemption that was provided to protect officers during sting investigations of prostitution rings.

The bill Glenn drafted with the help of the university is part of an effort in the Legislature to protect victims of human trafficking, Glenn said.

"I think it's a no-brainer. There's no widespread indication of police engaging in inappropriate behavior, but there are people who impersonate police officers who intimidate women into having sex," he said. "We would not want Michigan to be known as the only state in the nation where police could engage in sex with prostitutes or victims of human trafficking without fear of prosecution."

Michigan State Police spokeswoman Shannon Banner said it's not the kind of tactic troopers use in their investigations. And Oakland County Undersheriff Mike McCabe said, "It’s my 40th year here, and I’ve never heard of it happening here. That’s not how we train our undercover officers."

But Carr, a law professor with the U-M clinic, said it's hard to tell how widespread the practice is. "It would be really hard to keep track of because of the immunity for police," she said. "Folks with a lot of power have this immunity, and they're around people who are really vulnerable. I've been working for a number of years trying to get rid of this immunity."

The bill, HB 4355, has been assigned to the House Law and Justice Committee but hasn't been scheduled for a hearing yet.

"I can't imagine that the result will be anything other than unanimous passage in the House and Senate," Glenn said.

Other bills introduced last week:

HB 4345: Requires candidates for state and local offices to file financial disclosure reports. Sponsor: Rep. David LaGrand, D-Grand Rapids.

HB 4346: Creates a fund-raising vehicle-registration plate to support libraries. Sponsor: Rep. Beau LaFave, R-Iron Mountain.

HB 4347: Grants arrest powers to private security guards in large shopping malls. Sponsor: Rep. Abdullah Hammoud, D-Dearborn.

HB 4348: Provides for income tax credit for student loan payments. Sponsor: Rep. Adam Zemke, D-Ann Arbor.

HB 4349: Requires music and art instruction in elementary school curricula. Sponsor: Rep. Erika Geiss, D-Taylor.

HB 4350-4351: Exempt certain aviation equipment from sales and use taxes. Sponsor: Rep. Bronna Kahle, R-Clinton.

HB 4352: Adopts an environmental justice plan. Sponsor: Rep. Winning Brinks, D-Grand Rapids.

HB 4353-4354 and SB 240-241: Make the Michigan catastrophic claims association subject to the open-meetings act and Freedom of Information Act and require an annual audit. Sponsors: Reps. Abdullah Hammoud, D-Dearborn; Henry Yanez, D-Sterling Heights, and Sen. Steven Bieda, D-Warren.

HB 4356: Changes the foreign language requirement for a high school diploma to include credit for a formal career and technical education program. Sponsor: Rep. Brett Roberts, Eaton Township.

HB 4357-4358 and SB 234-235: Provide insurance cover for wigs for people undergoing treatment that includes hair loss. Sponsors: Reps. Jon Hoadley, D-Kalamazoo; Kevin Hertel, D-St. Clair Shores, and Sens. Rebekah Warren, D-Ann Arbor, and Steven Bieda, D-Warren.

HB 4359 and 4370-4371: Allow townships to create special-assessment districts for private utility services. Sponsors: Reps. Peter Lucido, R-Shelby Township; William Sowerby, D-Clinton Township, and Steve Marino, R-Harrison Township.

HB 4360: Prohibits local law enforcement agencies and universities from operating a motor vehicle storage facility. Sponsor: Rep. Peter Lucido, R-Shelby Township.

HB 4361: Requires the state department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs to establish a health facility database. Sponsor: Rep. Peter Lucido, R-Shelby Township.

HB 4362: Holds local taxing units harmless for property tax exemptions for disabled veterans. Sponsor: Rep. Jeff Yaroch, R-Richmond.

HB 4363: Requires supplier of water to provide access to water for drinking or household purposes. Sponsor: Rep. Edward Canfield, R-Sebawaing.

HB 4364: Provides for the automatic recision of administrative rules. Sponsor: Rep. John Reilly, R-Oakland Township.

HB 4365: Requires presidential candidates to file five years of tax returns with the Secretary of State or risk having their name kept off the ballot. Sponsor: Rep. Vanessa Guerra, D-Bridgeport.

HB 4366-4367: Create an income tax credit for qualified law enforcement and emergency medical services volunteers. Sponsors: Reps. Robert Kosowski, D-Westland, Tom Cochran, D-Mason.

HB 4368-4369: Create the budget bills for government and education-related funding. Sponsors: Reps. Laura Cox, R-Livonia, Tim Kelly, R-Saginaw Township.

HB 4372: Requires testing for lead and other contaminants in the water supplied to colleges and universities. Sponsor: Rep. Robert Kosowski, D-Westland.

HB 4373: Reduces the allowable grams of ephedrine or pseudoephedrine available for purchase. Sponsor: Rep. John Kivela, D-Marquette.

HB 4374: Revises the eligibility requirements for notary public appointment. Sponsor: Rep. Michael Webber, R-Rochester Hills.

HB 4375: Creates a state water ombudsman. Sponsor: Rep. Sheldon Neeley, D-Flint.

Senate bills

SB 229-233: Increase the child development and care program eligibility and modify the reimbursement rate. Sponsors: Sens. Hoon-Yung Hopgood, D-Taylor, Curtis Hertel, D-East Lansing, Jim Ananich, D-Flint, Bert Johnson, D-Highland Park.

SB 236-237: Require the prescription drug and opioid-abuse commission to provide recommendations for instruction to students on opioid drug abuse and require the instruction to be included in school curricula. Sponsor: Sen. Tonya Schuitmaker, R-Lawton.

SB 238: Clarifies the authority to pay consumer credit referral fees. Sponsor: Sen. Darwin Booher, R-Evart.

SB 239: Clarifies the transfer of abandoned highway property. Sponsor: Sen. Tom Casperson, R-Escanaba.

SB 242-244: Create the Good Jobs for Michigan tax incentive program in the Michigan Strategic Fund and allow a capture and earmark of certain income tax revenues for the program. Sponsors: Sens. Jim Stamas, R-Midland; Wayne Schmidt, R-Traverse City, and Steven Bieda, D-Warren.

SB 245: Allows law enforcement and military members to carry spring-assisted knives. Sponsor: Sen. Rick Jones, R-Grand Ledge.

SB 246-247: Make the governor and Legislature subject to the Freedom of Information open-records act. Sponsors: Sens. Tonya Schuitmaker, R-Lawton, Rick Jones, R-Grand Ledge.

SB 248: Creates a World War I centennial commission. Sponsor: Sen. Rebekah Warren, D-Ann Arbor.

SB 249: Creates the educational instruction access act. Sponsor: Sen. Mike Shirkey, R-Clarklake.

SB 250: Requires historic commission approval regarding changes to the exterior of historical sites. Sponsor: Sen. Hoon-Yung Hopgood, D-Taylor.

SB 251: Creates a state historic preservation office. Sponsor: Sen. Wayne Schmidt, R-Traverse City.

For more information on bills, go to www.legislature.mi.gov.

Contact Kathleen Gray: 313-223-4430, kgray99@freepress.com or on Twitter @michpoligal