Drivers who kill or seriously injure pedestrians and cyclists in Michigan would face felony charges under two bills that cleared the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, Sept. 23.

The committee approved both bills 9-0, according to WLNS. The bipartisan legislation now heads to the full House of Representatives.

The bills would create a new category called "vulnerable roadway user," covering anyone not inside a motor vehicle, including pedestrians, bicyclists, skateboarders and people riding in a horse and carriage. A driver who seriously injures a vulnerable road user could face up to five years in prison or a $5,000 fine. If the victim dies, the penalty rises to 10 years in prison or a $7,500 fine.

Under current Michigan law, a moving violation that causes serious injury is a 93-day misdemeanor. A moving violation causing death carries a one-year misdemeanor, as MLive reported in November 2024. Prosecutors who want a tougher charge must jump to involuntary manslaughter, which Andy Rohrer, executive director of the League of Michigan Bicyclists, told the committee requires proving intent to cause harm.

The gap in current law was illustrated Sept. 5, when a Ford Explorer struck two young bicyclists riding on the shoulder of Grand River Avenue near N. Meech Road in Leroy Township. A 12-year-old Williamston boy died at the scene. His 13-year-old sister was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries and died five days later, on Sept. 10, according to WILX. Drugs and alcohol did not appear to be factors, Michigan State Police said. The driver, a 64-year-old Williamston woman, was not arrested, and the investigation remained open as of mid-September, according to WLNS.

State Rep. Julie Rogers, D-Kalamazoo, said she has worked on the legislation for six years. Rogers pointed to a rise in crashes involving pedestrians and cyclists over the past decade, including a 2016 Kalamazoo County crash that killed five bicyclists and injured four others. The intoxicated driver in that case was convicted of murder and sentenced to 40 years in prison.

"The prosecutors have said that it's very difficult to try and charge these cases and so, many of the families had reached out to me asking for these pieces of legislation," Rogers said at the hearing.

Rohrer told the committee that injuries and fatalities among pedestrians and cyclists have climbed significantly over the past three years, even as safety has improved for people inside motor vehicles.

Rogers said she was "thrilled" to clear the committee but acknowledged the bills still face "a lot of twists and turns" in the legislature. No date has been set for a full House floor vote.