Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed Executive Order 2026-13 on June 4, 2026 at Edison Academy in Kalamazoo, re-establishing the Michigan Gun Violence Prevention Task Force. The order also declared June “Gun Violence Awareness Month” in Michigan.
The task force was originally created by Executive Order 2024-4. It released an initial report in April 2025 and its final report in November 2025. The new executive order extends the task force’s existence specifically to focus on implementing those recommendations.
What the Task Force Recommended
The November 2025 final report contained 39 total recommendations. The following are among the most significant for Michigan gun owners:
Required waiting periods for all firearm purchases. Raising the minimum age to purchase a firearm to 21, up from the current Michigan minimum of 18 for private seller purchases. Banning so-called ghost guns. Restricting large-capacity magazines. Prohibiting the sale, possession, manufacture, and transfer of assault weapons. Banning automatic conversion devices, specifically citing Glock switches that convert semiautomatic pistols into fully automatic pistols. Creating state-level inspections for Federal Firearms Licensees. Allowing firearm manufacturers to be held liable for third-party misuse of their products.
The task force also recommended expanding access to free gun locks, creating a statewide school safety tip line, standardizing training for school resource officers, and removing barriers to filing Extreme Risk Protection Orders.
Several of these recommendations have already been introduced in the Michigan Legislature. Senate Bills 853 and 854, which would create a state licensing and inspection system for firearm dealers, were heard by the Senate Judiciary Committee on April 28, 2026. The Republican-controlled House has declared those bills dead on arrival.
What the Executive Order Does and Does Not Do
An executive order cannot turn the task force’s recommendations into law. The task force has no independent authority to enact legislation, impose regulations, or create new legal requirements on Michigan gun owners or dealers.
Any recommendation that requires a change in state law must pass both chambers of the Michigan Legislature and be signed by the governor. With Republicans controlling the House and the House Judiciary chair already on record opposing the dealer licensing bills, the legislative path for most of these recommendations is narrow.
The order’s practical effect is to keep the task force operational, coordinate implementation of recommendations that fall within existing executive branch authority, and maintain political pressure on the Legislature to act.
More Context
Whitmer cited the Oxford High School shooting and the February 2023 Michigan State University shooting in her remarks. “Michiganders are familiar with this pain, as are people in every state in this country,” she said at the Kalamazoo signing event.
Kalamazoo County Sheriff Richard Fuller, who sits on the task force board, was among those who joined Whitmer for the event. Michigan Chief Medical Officer Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, who chairs the task force, noted that early 2025 data showed reductions in firearm homicides in several Michigan cities.
The governor has previously signed legislation establishing universal background checks for all firearm purchases, safe storage requirements, and Michigan’s red flag law, which took effect February 13, 2024.
What Comes Next
The task force will now work to implement recommendations that fall within existing executive authority and continue pushing for legislative action on the rest. Recommendations requiring new legislation face a divided Lansing, with the Democratic governor and Senate on one side and the Republican House on the other.
Michigan gun owners should monitor which recommendations move through the Legislature. The dealer licensing bills are currently stalled, but the task force’s continued existence means these proposals will remain active in Michigan’s political conversation through at least the remainder of Whitmer’s term.
For background on the dealer licensing bills specifically, see our earlier coverage: Michigan Dealer Licensing Bills Stall After Senate Hearing.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Executive orders and legislation are subject to change. Monitor michigan.gov and the Michigan Legislature for current status of any proposals affecting gun owners.