Michigan House Rules Committee Red Tape Reduction Initiative

Agreed, LARA's list is pretty limited. The concept, however, is a lifesaver.

Even after 7 years of green agenda running Michigan, healthcare is still a top contender for sheer numbers of regulations. It attracts regulators from five state departments: MDHHS, LARA, LEO, DIFS, and LEAP.

Mackinac Center reports the Red Tape Committee's early results.

https://www.michigancapitolconfidential.com/news/michigan-wraps-workers-in-16176-administrative-rules

Michigan wraps workers in 16,176 administrative rules

Mackinac Center scrapes government data so you don’t have to

By Scott McClallen   |   June 24, 2025

Michigan has about 16,176 administrative rules, according to data the Mackinac Center for Public Policy scraped from government websites.

The number of active rules changes often. Here’s one example: “R 408.10031 Machine installations. Rule 31. (1) A machine installed on a bench, table, or stand shall be designed or secured to prevent unintentional movement or tipping.(2) A stationary machine shall be anchored or provided with anti-slip pads to prevent unintentional movement.”

Executive branch departments add or remove rules, with the Michigan Office of Administrative Hearings and Rules overseeing the process.

Rep. Bill G. Schuette, who chairs the House Rules Committee, released a report proposing 80 changes to state permitting and licensing.

“Michigan is being held back by red tape put in place by our own state government,” it read. “From housing to the skilled trades, to factory floors, to mom-and-pop shops, state agencies stand in the way of new construction, new businesses, and new jobs. The Rules Committee Red Tape Reduction Initiative will force the state government to step back and let Michiganders go to work.”

Proposed changes include reducing certain requirements to become an accountant, cutting continuing education requirements for physicians and eliminating redundant exams.

The Michigan Administrative Code contains the following rules, divided by department:

Licensing and Regulatory Affairs: 4,094

Labor and Economic Opportunity: 3,138

Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy: 2,279

Natural resources: 1,165

Health and Human Services: 1,363

Treasury: 1,346

Agriculture and Rural Development: 525

Insurance and Financial Services: 388

Education: 336

State: 328

State Police: 322

Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential: 305

Transportation: 224

Attorney General: 113

Technology, Management, and Budget: 93

Military and Veteran Affairs: 75

Corrections: 74

Civil Rights: 43

More ideas worth watching from Mackinac Center's recent symposium. 

Pulling out the licensing reforms.

Mackinac Center provides a-alll the links (by topic, not bill number).

https://www.mackinac.org/blog/2025/fifty-five-bills-that-would-free-michigan-workers

Fifty-five bills that would free Michigan workers

House bills aim to reform state’s heavy licensing laws

Jarrett Skorup    |    November 3, 2025

Michigan lawmakers have introduced one of the most ambitious occupational-licensing reform packages in the country — more than 50 bills that would repeal unnecessary licenses, simplify education mandates and make it easier for skilled people to work in our state. The changes in House Bills 4879 through 4934 would make it possible for the state to protect the public without blocking opportunity.

State licensing requirements on workers are often arbitrary. Workers in similar jobs often have to go through widely different steps to get licensed. Training and fee requirements are put into place with little evidence of efficacy. Though the stated intent of these laws is public well-being, their effect, and often their stated purpose, is to block competition.

Licensing has grown far beyond its original intent. Once limited to doctors, lawyers and a few others, it now covers everything from landscapers to barbers to butter graders to school librarians. Each layer of red tape reduces competition, raises consumer prices, and locks people out of the workforce – especially low-income and rural Michiganders who can’t afford time off or tuition for needless credentialing.

The new reform package attacks those barriers head-on.

Repeal outdated licenses. Bills would end licensing for landscape architects, hearing-aid dealers, floor sanders, school librarians, collection agencies, potato dealers and other occupations that can be safely regulated through ordinary business or consumer-protection laws.

Streamline requirements. Accountants could qualify with 120 semester hours instead of 150. Barbers would train 1,500 instead of 1,800 hours. Physicians and dentists could complete continuing education online. Boiler operators, building inspectors, and other trades would see clearer, simpler classifications.

Increase flexibility. Universal licensing reciprocity ensures that people licensed and in good standing in another state can start working in Michigan without retesting or having to complete duplicative coursework. Remote board meetings and online continuing education options reflect a 21st-century workforce.

Modernize health care. The package eases licensing for foreign-trained physicians, nurses, and dentists, helping fill shortages across Michigan’s hospitals and clinics while maintaining rigorous safety standards.

These changes would deliver many benefits. Job numbers increase when it is easier for people to enter the workforce. Workers get more opportunities when they don’t have to waste time jumping through hoops or taking unnecessary and inefficient training. Consumers see more competition among professions and more choices in contractors. These House licensing-reform bills are truly one of the best regulatory packages ever introduced.