SENATE BILL NO. 490 April 13, 1999, Introduced by Senators STILLE, HAMMERSTROM, GOSCHKA, MC COTTER, GAST, BYRUM, YOUNG, SHUGARS, ROGERS, JOHNSON, GOUGEON, BULLARD, BENNETT, SIKKEMA, JAYE and NORTH and referred to the Committee on Families, Mental Health and Human Services. A bill to create a missing children task force in the department of state police and prescribe its powers and duties; and to repeal acts and parts of acts. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT: 1 Sec. 1. (1) This act shall be known and may be cited as the 2 "missing children task force act". 3 (2) As used in this act, "task force" means the missing 4 children task force created in section 2. 5 Sec. 2. (1) The missing children task force is created 6 within the department of state police. 7 (2) The task force consists of the following members: 8 (a) The director of the department of state police or the 9 director's designee. 10 (b) The director of the family independence agency or the 11 director's designee. 01473'99 GWH 2 1 (c) The director of the department of community health or 2 the director's designee. 3 (d) A judge of the family division of circuit court 4 appointed by the governor. 5 (e) The Michigan children's ombudsman or the ombudsman's 6 designee. 7 (f) Two members from the general public, appointed by the 8 governor, at least 1 of whom has training in child psychology. 9 (g) One member of the senate appointed by the majority 10 leader of the senate. 11 (h) One member of the house of representatives appointed by 12 the speaker of the house of representatives. 13 (i) The executive director of the Michigan association of 14 chiefs of police or the executive director's designee. 15 (j) The executive director of the Michigan sheriffs' associ- 16 ation or the executive director's designee. 17 (3) Task force members shall be appointed within 30 days 18 after the effective date of this act. 19 (4) Task force members shall serve for the duration of the 20 task force. 21 (5) If a vacancy occurs on the task force, the officer 22 making the original appointment shall make an appointment for the 23 unexpired term in the same manner as the original appointment. 24 (6) The officer appointing a task force member under subsec- 25 tion (2)(f), (g), or (h) may remove that member of the task force 26 for incompetency, dereliction of duty, malfeasance, misfeasance, 27 or nonfeasance in office, or any other good cause. 01473'99 3 1 Sec. 3. (1) The first meeting of the task force shall be 2 called by the director of the department of state police. At 3 this meeting, a chairperson shall be elected by a majority vote 4 of the members attending. 5 (2) A majority of the members of the task force constitute a 6 quorum for the transaction of business at a meeting of the task 7 force. A majority of the members present and serving are 8 required for official action of the task force. 9 (3) The business that the task force may perform shall be 10 conducted at a public meeting of the task force held in compli- 11 ance with the open meetings act, 1976 PA 267, MCL 15.261 to 12 15.275. A writing prepared, owned, used, in the possession of, 13 or retained by the task force in the performance of an official 14 function is subject to the freedom of information act, 1976 PA 15 442, MCL 15.231 to 15.246. 16 (4) A task force member shall serve without compensation. 17 However, a task force member appointed under section 2(2)(f) may 18 be reimbursed for the member's actual and necessary expenses 19 incurred in the performance of the member's official duties as a 20 member of the task force. The money to pay expenses authorized 21 by this section is appropriated in the discretionary fund in the 22 department of state police. 23 Sec. 4. (1) The task force shall do all of the following: 24 (a) Review the primary causes of missing children. 25 (b) Review the prevalence of voluntary disappearance, spou- 26 sal abduction, and kidnapping of children. 01473'99 4 1 (c) Explore and recommend a strategy to address the 2 information reviewed under subdivision (b). 3 (d) Review data entered into the missing children informa- 4 tion clearinghouse established by section 9 of 1968 PA 319, MCL 5 28.259. 6 (e) Recommend legislation to accomplish both of the 7 following: 8 (i) Improve procedures or programs to reduce the number of 9 incidents of missing children. 10 (ii) Ensure timely and accurate entry of missing children 11 information into the law enforcement information network governed 12 under the L.E.I.N. policy council act of 1974, 1974 PA 163, MCL 13 28.211 to 28.216. 14 (2) The task force shall submit a final report to the senate 15 standing committee on families, mental health, and human services 16 and the house standing committee on family and children services 17 before December 31, 2000. 18 Sec. 5. This act is repealed on December 31, 2000. 01473'99 Final page. GWH