Michigan’s 2026 plate-reader bills had no committee or floor action as of September 24, 2026

The House pair: HB 5493 and HB 5492

House Bills 5493 and 5492 were introduced on January 29, 2026, by Representatives Jimmie Wilson Jr. and Douglas Wozniak respectively, and referred to the Committee on Judiciary. Each text says it does not take effect unless the other is enacted. HB 5493 covers state and local governmental entities. Section 3 bars a governmental entity from using a plate-reader system except for listed purposes: comparing plates against alert data for insurance, registration, outstanding arrest warrants, missing individuals, stolen vehicles or an ongoing criminal investigation, plus parking enforcement, secured-area access and toll collection. [1] [2] [3] [4]

Section 5(1) of HB 5493 says captured plate data must not be retained for more than 14 days, except as evidence, under a preservation request or disclosure order, under a judicially issued warrant, or in an ongoing investigation where the data match alert data. Section 7 would require each user agency to post a use policy and a privacy policy and to submit and post a quarterly usage report without personally identifiable information. [2]

HB 5492 covers private operators of plate-reader systems. Section 9 requires an operator to preserve data for at least 14 days after a preservation request, and says a governmental entity may use privately held plate data only under a warrant or that preservation process, and only if the private system keeps data for 14 days or less. Section 11 bars plate data from use as evidence when its disclosure would violate the act. Section 13 lets an aggrieved person recover actual damages or $1,000, whichever is greater, plus attorney fees. Section 15 says captured plate data are not subject to disclosure under Michigan’s Freedom of Information Act. [4]

The Senate bill: SB 1131

Senate Bill 1131 was introduced on July 29, 2026, by Senator Jim Runestad and referred to the Committee on Civil Rights, Judiciary, and Public Safety. It combines the governmental and operator provisions in one bill. Its purpose list adds outstanding parking or traffic violations and refers to outstanding felony warrants rather than arrest warrants. Section 3(3) says an agency that uses the system to collect fines, fees or other payments shall not intentionally or inadvertently target enforcement toward, or disproportionately collect payments from, a group based on race, ethnicity or income level in a manner exceeding that group’s share of the population in its jurisdiction. [5] [6]

SB 1131’s retention rule differs from HB 5493’s. Section 5(1) says captured plate data “must not be retained except for” listed reasons and states no number of days. Section 9(b) instead requires each agency’s privacy policy to set a maximum storage time, subject to section 5(1), and to provide for automatic deletion. The 14-day figures in SB 1131 appear in section 7, which covers preservation requests and conditions on government use of privately held data. The bill also contains the evidence, damages and Freedom of Information Act provisions described above for HB 5492. [6]

Status and limits

As retrieved on September 24, 2026 (U.S. Central time), the House status pages list introduction and referral on January 29, 2026, a February 3, 2026 entry recording electronic reproduction, and a House Fiscal Agency summary as introduced dated April 22, 2026. The Senate status page lists introduction and referral on July 29, 2026. None lists a committee hearing, a committee vote or passage by either chamber. This report reads the introduced texts only; any later substitute or amendment is not covered, and the texts are proposals, not current Michigan law. [1] [3] [5]

Sources

1. Michigan Legislature, House Bill 5493 of 2026 status pageSponsors list; tie-bar note; History table 1/29/2026 introduction and referral to Committee on Judiciary, 2/03/2026 electronic reproduction; Analysis entry dated 4/22/2026Source URL: https://legislature.mi.gov/Bills/Bill?ObjectName=2026-HB-5493
2. House Bill No. 5493 of 2026, as introducedSec. 3(2) purposes; Sec. 5(1) 14-day retention and exceptions; Sec. 7(a)-(c) policies and quarterly report; enacting section 1 tie-barSource URL: https://legislature.mi.gov/documents/2025-2026/billintroduced/House/htm/2026-HIB-5493.htm
3. Michigan Legislature, House Bill 5492 of 2026 status pageSponsors list; tie-bar note; History table 1/29/2026 introduction and referral to Committee on Judiciary, 2/03/2026 electronic reproduction; Analysis entry dated 4/22/2026Source URL: https://legislature.mi.gov/Bills/Bill?ObjectName=2026-HB-5492
4. House Bill No. 5492 of 2026, as introducedSec. 9(1), (4)-(5) preservation and private data; Sec. 11 evidence; Sec. 13 civil action; Sec. 15(1) FOIA; enacting section 1 tie-barSource URL: https://legislature.mi.gov/documents/2025-2026/billintroduced/House/htm/2026-HIB-5492.htm
5. Michigan Legislature, Senate Bill 1131 of 2026 status pageSponsor; History table 7/29/2026 introduction and referral to Committee on Civil Rights, Judiciary, and Public SafetySource URL: https://legislature.mi.gov/Bills/Bill?ObjectName=2026-SB-1131
6. Senate Bill No. 1131 of 2026, as introducedPDF pp. 2-3, Sec. 3(2)-(3); pp. 3-4, Sec. 5(1); pp. 4-5, Sec. 7; pp. 5-6, Sec. 9(b); p. 7, Sec. 11 and 13; p. 8, Sec. 15(1)Source URL: https://legislature.mi.gov/documents/2025-2026/billintroduced/Senate/pdf/2026-SIB-1131.pdf