Public employees and officers: ethics; certain local officials acting as lobbyists outside of the course and scope of the official’s office; prohibit. Amends 1978 PA 472 (MCL 4.411 - 4.431) by adding sec. 6b.
Key claim: HB5506 would amend Michigan’s 1978 lobbying ethics act to prohibit certain local officials from acting as lobbyists outside the course and scope of their official office.
Abstract
(HB5506 · 103rd Legislature) Public employees and officers: ethics; certain local officials acting as lobbyists outside of the course and scope of the official’s office; prohibit. Amends 1978 PA 472 (MCL 4.411 - 4.431) by adding sec. 6b. Latest action (2026-06-23): Referred To Committee On Government Operations
Why this matters
For local government workers and officeholders, this bill would newly restrict outside paid lobbying work, changing what side employment is permissible while holding local office. Taxpayers and constituents gain an additional ethics guardrail against local officials leveraging their public position for private advocacy work. It represents a downward extension of Michigan’s state-level lobbying ethics regime into county, city, township, and other local government contexts.