TAKE ACTION: Civil Rights, Gun Safety, & Reproductive Health

Social Work Interstate Compact

The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) welcomed the release this week of the Social Work Interstate Compact Model Bill on February 27, 2023. The bill will expand opportunities for social workers to provide services in multiple states. Seven states must enact the Model Social Work Compact Bill before the Compact Commission is established. The Commission will serve as an administrative body overseeing the Interstate Compact for Social Workers. The Council of State Governments (CSG) oversaw the development of the legislation.

NASW-Michigan is discussing this with our legislative partners to determine our path forward.

Learn more about the Model Social Work Interstate Compact Bill

Read the NASW Press Release

View the Frequently Asked Questions

Legislative Movement 

Gun Safety Legislation

In the past few weeks, Michigan Senate Democrats introduced nearly a dozen bills to tighten gun regulations, which include universal background checks for gun purchases, safe storage requirements for gun owners and so-called red flag laws allowing judges to temporarily confiscate a gun from someone posing a risk to others or themselves. NASW-Michigan is supportive of these bills.

NASW-Michigan also joined the Campaign For A Safer Michigan sign-on letter requesting the following changes to ensure that the laws are both effective and equitable:

Changes to Safe Storage (SB 79):

• Include legally prohibited people in addition to “minors” in all instances except in Section 6. Amend language to say, “a legally prohibited person or a minor.”

• Provide a subsidy for a safe or lock box with the purchase of a new handgun or pistol so that cost is not a barrier to owning a firearm. This funding should not come from an increase in CPL costs.

Changes to ERPO (SB 83):

• In Section 7, add “attempts or threats of suicide or self-harm” and “a history of drug and/or alcohol misuse” to the list of risk factors.

• In Section 10 (4), require the court to schedule a compliance hearing no later than three judicial days(rather than 10) after an extreme risk protection order is served.

• Include the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) to all instances where Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (AFT) are included. MAKE SURE it’s removed after the temporary order is lifted.

• Include a provision so that when an individual’s firearm restriction is lifted and their name is ordered to be removed from NICS/CJIS/FBI/AFT (or any other list) that the responsible agency shall revisit the progress of the removal, every 90 days, until the removal is verified to be complete.

• Any mental health services related to the issuance of an extreme risk protection order shall be comprehensive and comply with the MI Mental Health Code including, but not limited to, MCL 330.1712: Individualized Written Plan of Services.

• Explicitly state that gender identity, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, political affiliation, or religion cannot be considered a risk factor when determining if an individual poses a risk to themselves or others. 

• Change “plaintiff” to “petitioner” and “defendant” and “restrained individual” to “respondent.” Given that ERPO laws are civil matters it is best to avoid terms utilized by the criminal legal system.

• Require the Department of Health and Human Services to educate the public about extreme risk protection orders and how an individual can seek help if they believe a family member is in crisis.

Reproductive Freedom Win

On Wednesday, both the House and Senate Health Policy committees held hearings regarding legislation that, if passed, would repeal the 1931 abortion ban once and for all. Michigan voters approved a constitutional right to an abortion last fall.

The House Health Policy committee sent the legislation to the floor with support, where the chamber voted YES (58-50) to repeal the 1931 abortion ban. We anticipate the same will be done on the Senate side.

A Win for the Expansion of Civil Rights

On Wednesday, Michigan Senate voted in support of expanding the Elliott Larsen Civil Rights Act to include protections for gender identity and sexual orientation. NASW-Michigan has long been a supporter of this expansion and is ecstatic to continue to support the movement of this bill. It will now be sent to the House for a vote and then to the Governor to sign. We expect that it will pass in the House.

Licensure Changes FAQs