Michigan family farm fatality reporting bill

By Andi Anderson

House Bill 4011, introduced by Michigan Reps. Jerry Neyer and Graham Filler, proposes changes to legislation related to reporting family farm fatalities in Michigan. The bill seeks to address issues where family members of farm owners were facing hefty fines for failing to report a fatality in a timely manner. Here are the key points of the proposed legislation:

• Penalty Reduction: HB 4011 aims to reduce the penalty for failing to report a family farm fatality by 80%. This means that the fine imposed on farm owners for not reporting a fatality in time would be significantly lower if this bill becomes law.
• Redefined Family Farm: The bill introduces new definitions for what constitutes a family farm. It describes a family farm as a small farm where there is no hired farm manager who can file a death report in a timely manner. It specifies that more than 50% of the farm employees must be family members, and the farm should not have more than nine non-family members employed. It also excludes farms with temporary labor camps from this definition.
• Family Farm Member: The legislation defines a family farm member as a spouse, child, stepchild, foster child, parent, step-parent, or foster parent. This definition is relevant when determining who should report fatalities and injuries on a family farm.
• Family Farm Operation: The bill describes a family farm operation as a sole proprietorship, partnership, or family corporation that is owned by the operator or operator's family members and does not employ a "human resource" person.
• Governor's Requirements: The legislation has been designed to address concerns raised by Governor Whitmer, ensuring compliance with federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations.
• Support: The Michigan Farm Bureau and its associate legislative counsel, Ben Tirrell, express strong support for HB 4011. They emphasize the challenges that farm families face and argue that the bill guarantees a smaller fine for failing to meet reporting deadlines.

The bill's primary goal is to provide relief to family farms by reducing the penalties associated with failing to report a fatality in a timely manner. It also redefines key terms related to family farms and addresses compliance issues with federal regulations. This legislation appears to have received significant support within the Michigan House and Senate, and it aims to balance the need for safety reporting with the realities of farm life.