2025 Senate Bill 349 / Public Act 57

Education: examinations; opt-out option for the workforce readiness assessment portion of the Michigan merit examination; provide for.

An act to amend 1976 PA 451, entitled “An act to provide a system of public instruction and elementary and secondary schools; to revise, consolidate, and clarify the laws relating to elementary and secondary education; to provide for the organization, regulation, and maintenance of schools, school districts, public school academies, intermediate school districts, and other public school entities; to prescribe rights, powers, duties, and privileges of schools, school districts, public school academies, intermediate school districts, and other public school entities; to provide for the regulation of school teachers and certain other school employees; to provide for school elections and to prescribe powers and duties with respect thereto; to provide for the levy and collection of taxes; to provide for the borrowing of money and issuance of bonds and other evidences of indebtedness; to establish a fund and provide for expenditures from that fund; to make appropriations for certain purposes; to provide for and prescribe the powers and duties of certain state departments, the state board of education, and certain other boards and officials; to provide for licensure of boarding schools; to prescribe penalties; and to repeal acts and parts of acts,” by amending section 1279g (MCL 380.1279g), as amended by 2016 PA 170.

AI Analysis – Experimental

Senate Bill No. 349 amends Michigan's school code to allow high school students to opt out of the workforce readiness test in the Michigan Merit Examination via a parent-signed waiver, while maintaining rigorous standards, reporting, and curriculum alignment for the exam.

Introduced in the Senate

June 4, 2025

Introduced by Sen. Dayna Polehanki (D-5) and three co-sponsors

Co-sponsored by Sens. Mallory McMorrow (D-8), Erika Geiss (D-1) and Jeff Irwin (D-15)

Referred to the Committee on Education

June 17, 2025

Reported with substitute S-3

June 18, 2025

Referred to the Committee of the Whole

June 26, 2025

Reported with substitute S-3

Substitute S-3 concurred in by voice vote

Aug. 13, 2025

Passed in the Senate 33 to 0 (details)

Received in the House

Aug. 13, 2025

Referred to the Committee on Government Operations

Nov. 6, 2025

Reported without amendment

Referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce

Dec. 10, 2025

Reported with substitute H-1

Substitute H-1 concurred in by voice vote

Dec. 11, 2025

Passed in the House 101 to 0 (details)

Motion to give immediate effect by Rep. Brian BeGole (R-71)

The motion prevailed by voice vote

Received in the Senate

Dec. 16, 2025

Substitute H-1 concurred in 35 to 0 (details)

Signed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer

Dec. 23, 2025