Michigan Retailers Association President and CEO William J. Hallan today joined Governor Gretchen Whitmer for the official signing of the INFORM (Integrity Notification and Fairness in Online Retail Marketplaces) Act, HB 5486-5487, into law. This package of legislation will now be known as Public Acts 152-153 of 2022.
The INFORM Act requires online marketplaces to verify high-volume, third-party sellers and provide their contact information to purchasers. This new set of laws also gives prosecutors the ability to charge criminal Organized Retail Crime rings with up to 20-year felonies and require forfeiture which will help fund future, AG-led investigations. In addition to this legislation, the FY 2023 Michigan budget includes $3.5 million in one-time funding to be used by the Department of Attorney General to create an Organized Retail Crime Unit.
The signing of these bills puts Michigan ahead of 40 states in consumer transparency, and ahead of federal law.
“The signing of these bills into law is a victory for Michigan consumers and retailers – protecting both from bad actors. We applaud Gov. Whitmer for signing INFORM into law,” said Hallan. “Today marks a key step in stopping organized retail crime, with these laws in place, we have the ability to limit the sale of stolen goods and provide additional safety and transparency for consumers.”
