DEFINITION OF "HOUSEHOLD"
House Bill 4713
Sponsor: Rep. Michael Kowall
Committee: Criminal Law and Corrections
Complete to 9-30-99
A SUMMARY OF HOUSE BILL 4713 AS INTRODUCED 5-19-99
The Michigan Penal Code distinguishes between assaults where there is an element of domestic violence and assaults where there is no spousal relationship between the offender and the victim. The relationship is described in the law as an assault against the violator's "spouse or former spouse, an individual with whom he or she has had a child in common, or a resident or former resident of his or her household". The bill would amend the code to clarify part of that definition to refer to "a resident of the same household", rather than to "a resident of his or her household". The same language would be used in sections setting forth the various domestic assault offenses (i.e., simple assault-domestic [first offense], simple assault-domestic with one previous conviction, simple assault-domestic with two or more previous convictions, aggravated assault-domestic [first offense], and aggravated assault-domestic with one or more previous convictions).
MCL 750.81 and 750.81a
Analyst: D. Martens