Fact check: Michigan legislators introduced bill to ban balloon releases, but no vote yet

BrieAnna J. Frank, USA TODAY
·2 min read
6
Fact check: Michigan legislators introduced bill to ban balloon releases, but no vote yet

The claim: Michigan banned releasing balloons

An April 27 Facebook post (direct link, archive link) claims a common celebratory activity is now illegal in a Midwestern state.

“So no more Ballon releases no where in Michigan you will be fined $800 no matter the occasion,” reads the post.

It was shared more than 2,500 times in one day.

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Our rating: False

A bill that would ban the release of some types of balloons was introduced in the Michigan Senate in April, but the measure has not yet received a vote. If it were to become law, certain types of balloons would be exempt from the ban.

Years-long effort in the state to pass legislation on balloon releases

Michigan Senate Bill 294 would outlaw releasing balloons if they’re filled with a gas lighter than air but has some exceptions, including meteorological, scientific and hot air balloons, according to the bill text.

The civil fine for violators depends on the amount of litter a balloon produces, with a fine of up to $800 for litter less than 1 cubic foot in volume and up to $2,500 for litter that’s 3 cubic feet or more.

Democratic Sen. Mallory McMorrow introduced the bill April 25, and it was referred to the Committee on Energy and Environment the same day, according to LegiScan.

Balloons are released at the end of the brass music concert at the Theresienwiese Oktoberfest fair grounds in Munich, southern Germany, on September 25, 2022. The world's biggest beer festival Oktoberfest runs until October 3, 2022.
Balloons are released at the end of the brass music concert at the Theresienwiese Oktoberfest fair grounds in Munich, southern Germany, on September 25, 2022. The world's biggest beer festival Oktoberfest runs until October 3, 2022.

McMorrow and Democratic Rep. Mari Manoogian introduced similar bills in the Michigan House and Senate in 2021, but the measures did not reach a floor vote.

More: Is the party over for balloons? Impact on environment raises possibility of a ban

Various states and organizations around the country have banned balloon releases in recent years. That includes Clemson University, which ended its decades-long tradition of releasing balloons before football games in 2018, and the states of Virginia and Hawaii, which banned intentional outdoor balloon releases in 2021 and 2023, respectively.

Bills that would remove exceptions to Florida's balloon release law, which permits intentionally releasing fewer than 10 balloons, were also introduced in that state's House and Senate in 2023, as reported by WINK-TV. Neither bill had received a vote as of April.

Local TV stations WJRT-TV, WOOD-TV and WJBK-TV reported the Michigan bill was merely introduced and had not yet become law.

USA TODAY reached out to the user who shared the claim for comment.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fact check: Michigan bill banning balloon releases hasn't passed yet