Under current law, sexual contact by force can be charged as a misdemeanor

The Michigan House passed legislation sponsored by state Rep. Tom Kuhn that would make fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct, including sexual contact committed by force or threat, a felony instead of a misdemeanor.

House Bill 6263 passed 79-24 as part of a five-bill package, House Bills 6259-6263, and now goes to the Senate.

Kuhn’s bill reclassifies fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct as a felony, changing how a conviction appears on a felony background check and how the offense is treated under federal gun law.

“I read what fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct actually covers,” Kuhn said. “It includes sexual contact by force and grown adults going after 13-year-olds, and Michigan still calls it a misdemeanor. A survivor hears exactly what that word means, and so does the person who hurt them.”

Under Michigan law, fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct includes sexual contact accomplished through force, coercion or threats of retaliation. It also covers certain sexual contact with someone who is incapacitated or physically helpless; sexual contact with a 13- to 15-year-old by someone at least five years older; and certain offenses involving abuse of a position of trust by a school employee, mental health professional or child care worker.

Sexual violence remains a broader concern across Michigan. According to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey published in December 2025, 23% of Michigan women reported having experienced a completed or attempted rape in their lifetime.

Michigan courts handled 367 fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct cases in 2025, according to the Michigan Department of Corrections. Of those cases, 47.1% resulted in probation with no jail or prison time. By comparison, none of the 516 first-degree criminal sexual conduct cases ended with probation alone.

The broader package would also establish mandatory minimum prison sentences of 15 years for first-degree criminal sexual conduct, 10 years for second-degree and five years for third-degree. It would raise the maximum penalty for second- and third-degree criminal sexual conduct from 15 years to life in prison. Kuhn co-sponsored those bills.

“Keeping people safe is the first thing state government owes the families who pay for it, and a strong investment in public safety is the first thing I look for in a budget,” Kuhn said. “When a woman, child or any survivor in our district decides to come forward, the law should treat what happened to them as the serious crime it is. HB 6263 moves Michigan closer to that, and I’m proud to have sponsored it.”

Kuhn has worked on public safety issues since taking office.

In June 2023, Kuhn publicly opposed a package of sentencing bills that he warned could lead to the release of more than 9,000 prisoners, including people serving time for murder, rape and fentanyl dealing. In a Detroit News column, he urged residents to contact their legislators and oppose the bills. The opposition effort successfully blocked the dangerous proposal. .

Kuhn also helped create the $75 million Public Safety Trust Fund to provide additional resources to local law enforcement and support public safety in communities including Sterling Heights, Troy and Madison Heights.

Kuhn spearheaded House Bill 5157, which passed the House in March 2026. Under the bill, drug dealers who supply fentanyl or heroin that causes brain damage or another permanent injury to someone could face up to life in prison.

Kuhn also introduced House Bill 5916, which would make violating a personal protection order involving a current or former partner a felony. Under current law, the maximum penalty is 93 days in jail. Kuhn’s bill would increase the maximum penalty to life in prison and require a minimum sentence of 182 days behind bars.