“Michigan got rid of implicit bias training, so I can skip it this renewal”

What nurses hear

"Michigan scrapped the implicit bias training requirement. I saw the headline about the House voting to get rid of it, so I don't need it for my 2026 renewal."

The reality

The headline was real, but it described half of a process that never finished. House Bill 4915 of 2025 passed the Michigan House 56-45 on December 11, 2025 and would prohibit the implicit bias training requirement. It then went to the Senate, was referred to the Regulatory Affairs Committee on December 16, 2025, and has not moved since. It is not law. The actual rule, R 338.7004 of the Public Health Code General Rules, still stands: renewing your license requires "a minimum of 1 hour of implicit bias training for each year of the applicant's license or registration cycle," which means 2 hours for Michigan's 2-year RN and LPN cycle. LARA's own Nursing Licensing Guide, revised January 26, 2026, weeks after the House vote, still lists it in the renewal checklist and notes "this is not a one-time training and must be completed for each renewal cycle prior to the renewal being completed." The one silver lining in the rule: the same hours can double-count toward your 25 total CE hours, and a single 2-hour course covers the whole cycle (the rule requires 1 hour FOR each year, not one hour taken IN each year).

Why this one spreads

• December 2025 headlines like "House approves bill blocking implicit bias training requirements" read like a finished repeal, and few outlets covered the bill stalling afterward.
• The House passed the bill "with immediate effect," which sounds like it took effect immediately. That phrase only matters if a bill actually becomes law, and this one has not.
• The requirement is politically contested, so nurses keep hearing that its end is imminent, which blurs into believing it already ended.

The nuance that survives

• The bill is stalled, not formally dead. If HB 4915 (or a successor) ever passes the Senate and is signed, the requirement would change. Until that actually happens, plan every renewal around the training being required.
• The training has content standards: it must cover strategies to reduce disparities in access to and delivery of health care and include pre- and post-test implicit bias assessments. A generic diversity video may not qualify.
• LARA does not pre-approve courses. Qualifying sponsors include accredited colleges, nationally or state-recognized health organizations, government agencies, and organizations specializing in diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• You cannot repeat the identical course within one renewal cycle, and you cannot carry extra hours forward to the next cycle.
• Keep your completion documentation for 6 years. Submitting your renewal certifies compliance, and LARA audits a sample of licensees.

Sources

Michigan Legislature, House Bill 4915 of 2025 (status and history)

Last verified: 2026-07-22

Michigan Admin Code R 338.7001-338.7005, implicit bias training standards

Last verified: 2026-07-22

LARA Nursing Licensing Guide (revised Jan 26, 2026), renewal checklist

Last verified: 2026-07-22

LARA Implicit Bias Training FAQs

Last verified: 2026-07-22

Frequently asked questions

Do Michigan nurses still need implicit bias training to renew in 2026?

Yes. Rule R 338.7004 requires 1 hour of implicit bias training for each year of your license cycle, so 2 hours for the standard 2-year RN or LPN renewal. LARA's Nursing Licensing Guide, revised January 26, 2026, still lists it as a renewal requirement.

What happened to the bill that was supposed to end the requirement?

House Bill 4915 passed the Michigan House 56-45 on December 11, 2025, but it was referred to the Senate Regulatory Affairs Committee on December 16, 2025 and has not moved since. It is not law, and the training requirement remains in force.

How many hours do I need, and can they count toward my 25 CE hours?

One hour for each year of your cycle, so 2 hours per biennial renewal. A single 2-hour course covers it, since the rule requires 1 hour for each year, not one hour taken in each calendar year. Unless another rule says otherwise, the same hours may also count toward your total CE requirement.

What kind of implicit bias training counts?

Live in-person sessions, live interactive webinars, or asynchronous webinars from a qualifying sponsor such as an accredited college, a recognized health organization, a government agency, or a DEI-specialized organization. The content must include disparities-reduction strategies and pre- and post-test assessments. LARA does not pre-approve specific courses.

Do I have to send LARA a certificate when I renew?

No. Submitting the renewal application certifies your compliance. But keep your completion certificate or a dated attestation with the sponsor and course title for 6 years, because LARA audits a sample of renewals.

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