---
type: "Bill"
title: "Labor: collective bargaining; definition of public employee in 1947 PA 336; remove exclusion of certain graduate assistants from. Amends sec. 1 of 1947 PA 336 (MCL 423.201)."
description: "Labor: collective bargaining; definition of public employee in 1947 PA 336; remove exclusion of certain graduate assistants from. Amends sec. 1 of 1947 PA 336 (MCL 423.201)."
jurisdiction: "us/states/mi"
legislature: "Michigan Legislature"
session: "2023-2024"
identifier: "SB 185"
citation: "Michigan SB 185 (2023-2024)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Higher education: employees", "Higher education: research", "Labor: collective bargaining", "Labor: public service employment"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Jeff Irwin"]
version_count: 8
action_count: 25
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2023-03-15"
last_action: "2023-12-29"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/dd0aa0e0-5c93-45a1-a3d5-33814bb2d65b"
source_url: "https://legislature.mi.gov/Bills/Bill?ObjectName=2023-SB-0185"
source_hash: "be8430fe8bc023ba772390b3cf866b1f3b1beb3a8a0a670ffb0e4eb764f6c8ff"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-mi"]
---

# Michigan SB 185 (2023-2024) — Labor: collective bargaining; definition of public employee in 1947 PA 336; remove exclusion of certain graduate assistants from. Amends sec. 1 of 1947 PA 336 (MCL 423.201).

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **As Passed by the House** (committee substitute) — [source](https://legislature.mi.gov/documents/2023-2024/billengrossed/Senate/pdf/2023-SEBH-0185.pdf)
2. **As Passed by the Senate** (committee substitute) — [source](https://legislature.mi.gov/documents/2023-2024/billengrossed/Senate/pdf/2023-SEBS-0185.pdf)
3. **Public Act** (committee substitute) — [source](https://legislature.mi.gov/documents/2023-2024/publicact/pdf/2023-PA-0237.pdf)
4. **Senate Introduced Bill** (committee substitute) — [source](https://legislature.mi.gov/documents/2023-2024/billintroduced/Senate/pdf/2023-SIB-0185.pdf)
5. **Substitute (S-5)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://legislature.mi.gov/Home/GetObject?objectName=2023-SCVBS-0185-00B74.pdf)
6. **Substitute (S-5) - 2** (committee substitute) — [source](https://legislature.mi.gov/Home/GetObject?objectName=2023-SCVBS-0185-0B735.pdf)
7. **Substitute (S-5) - 3** (committee substitute) — [source](https://legislature.mi.gov/Home/GetObject?objectName=2023-SCVBS-0185-00C77.pdf)
8. **Substitute (S-5) - 4** (committee substitute) — [source](https://legislature.mi.gov/Home/GetObject?objectName=2023-SCVBS-0185-00D48.pdf)

## Votes

- PASSED ROLL CALL # 135 YEAS 20 NAYS 17 EXCUSED 1 NOT VOTING 0 — **20–17** (pass) · upper
- passed; given immediate effect Roll Call # 570 Yeas 56 Nays 51 Excused 0 Not Voting 3 — **56–51** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Jeff Irwin — primary (person)
- Dayna Polehanki — cosponsor (person)
- Erika Geiss — cosponsor (person)
- Jeremy Moss — cosponsor (person)
- Stephanie Chang — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2023-03-15** INTRODUCED BY SENATOR JEFF IRWIN `introduction`
- **2023-03-15** REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON LABOR `referral-committee`
- **2023-04-25** REPORTED FAVORABLY WITH SUBSTITUTE (S-5) `committee-passage`
- **2023-04-25** REFERRED TO COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE WITH SUBSTITUTE (S-5) `referral-committee`
- **2023-04-25** REPORTED BY COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE FAVORABLY WITH SUBSTITUTE (S-5) `committee-passage`
- **2023-04-25** SUBSTITUTE (S-5) CONCURRED IN
- **2023-04-25** PLACED ON ORDER OF THIRD READING WITH SUBSTITUTE (S-5)
- **2023-04-26** AMENDMENT(S) DEFEATED `amendment-failure`
- **2023-04-26** PASSED ROLL CALL # 135 YEAS 20 NAYS 17 EXCUSED 1 NOT VOTING 0 `passage`
- **2023-04-26** received on 04/26/2023 `introduction`
- **2023-04-26** read a first time `reading-1`
- **2023-04-26** referred to Committee on Labor `referral-committee`
- **2023-09-28** reported with recommendation without amendment `committee-passage`
- **2023-09-28** referred to second reading
- **2023-11-09** read a second time `reading-2`
- **2023-11-09** placed on third reading
- **2023-11-09** placed on immediate passage
- **2023-11-09** read a third time `reading-3`
- **2023-11-09** passed; given immediate effect Roll Call # 570 Yeas 56 Nays 51 Excused 0 Not Voting 3 `passage`
- **2023-11-09** returned to Senate
- **2023-11-09** ORDERED ENROLLED
- **2023-12-29** PRESENTED TO GOVERNOR 11/27/2023 02:36 PM `executive-receipt`
- **2023-12-29** APPROVED BY GOVERNOR 11/29/2023 05:02 PM `executive-signature`
- **2023-12-29** FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE 11/30/2023 10:06 AM
- **2023-12-29** ASSIGNED PA 0237'23

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/dd0aa0e0-5c93-45a1-a3d5-33814bb2d65b`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Michigan legislature records).