The bill would offer protection for students under the legal drinking age from a minor in possession, or MIP, who voluntarily present themselves for treatment after overconsumption of alcohol, said Steve Marino, Student Assembly’s vice chairman for external affairs.

“If I take in an incredible amount of alcohol and I’m really fearful for my life and I somehow make it to the hospital of my own accord and I’m the one initiating contact with them, that’s the only case that (the drinker) is exempt from an MIP,” Marino said.

This bill, which will be introduced by Rep. Anthony Forlini, R-Harrison Township, has altered some of the language to extend the scope of its protection. That protection now extends to exempt minors from receiving MIPs if they call on behalf of overage friends.

“So if you’re 21 and I’m 20 and you’re hammered and I call on your behalf, I’m still exempt now,” Marino said. “We managed to extend the scope in that regard, which was nice.”

ASMSU previously has backed similar bills in the legislature, but those bills were unsuccessful.
“I think it got caught up in politics,” Marino said.

“It wasn’t necessarily the content of the bill, but that’s the way things go.”

Rep. Mark Meadows, D-East Lansing, who sponsored the bill in previous sessions, agreed.

“Everybody was pretty disappointed,” he said. “No one was opposed to it. It was just a testament to the dysfunction of that Senate last session.”

Former Student Assembly Chairman Kyle Dysarz said he began working on the medical amnesty effort when he was the external vice chair last school year.

“Two years ago almost — maybe two and a half — we set up the meetings to talk about it with (East Lansing) City Manager Ted Staton and (former) police Chief Tom Wibert,” he said. “We were pushing for just something in East Lansing, like an ordinance, and then realized quickly in that meeting that they were bound by state law.”

The previous medical amnesty bill died when it failed to pass the Senate before senators adjourned at the end of the session. Marino said he hopes to do it right this time.

“We’ve taken this a bit more seriously this year,” he said.

“We’re profiling every member in both the House and Senate judiciary committees whether they have children, what age, and how they’ve voted on previous liberal bills.”

Marino said ASMSU hopes to encourage senators to open their minds to the protection the bill offers for youth.

Meadows said the bill also calls for cooperation from the East Lansing Police Department.
“What this bill calls for is for an unwritten policy,” he said.

“We aren’t going to write tickets when someone’s life is in danger.”

Student Assembly Chairman Chris Schotten said ASMSU has been well known at the state level as a strong advocate for medical amnesty on behalf of both MSU students and for the state of Michigan.

“I’m really optimistic that we’ll see these policies change and for the better to prevent any future unnecessary deaths related to overconsumption,” he said.

Staff writer Kyle Campbell contributed to this report.