The House Oversight Committee on Tuesday voted 10-7 to authorize the committee chair to issue a subpoena to the Michigan Department of Education for internal documents related to a proposed health education standards framework.

Representative Merriman moved the authorization, saying he and an aide sent a records request on Oct. 24, 2025, and that the department replied on Oct. 31 that it would take several months to produce the requested materials. "It appears that the department doesn't want does not want its internal communications about these standards revealed to the legislature or the public before the standards are adopted," Merriman said during debate.

The committee's motion instructed the chair to execute a subpoena that lists the documents the committee intends to review. The clerk conducted a roll call vote. Voting yes were Chair DeBoer; Representatives Meerman, Paquette, Cara, Brooke, Regis, Wolford, Wozniak, Lightner and Saint Germain. Voting no were Representatives Miller, Pawetsky, Conlan, Mcdonald, Menser, Serniglu and Weguella. The clerk announced the motion approved.

Committee members said the subpoena was necessary because the committee and the full House have a legislative purpose in examining proposed standards that may implicate state education statutes. Merriman said the committee sought the department's internal deliberations and policy discussions around the draft health education framework and the process used to develop it.

The motion authorizes the chair to issue the subpoena; the subpoena document listing the specific records was provided to committee members, Merriman said. The committee took no further formal action on the substance of the standards at the hearing.

The authorization requires the Michigan Department of Education to produce the listed documents to the committee, subject to any lawful privileges or limitations. The chair will execute the subpoena per the committee motion.