HOUSE BILL No. 4327

 

March 12, 2003, Introduced by Reps. Bieda, Elkins, Gleason, Brandenburg, Vagnozzi, Accavitti, Condino, Wojno, Farrah, Spade, Phillips, Zelenko, Anderson, Woodward, Gillard, Rivet, Brown, Adamini, Law, Daniels, Dennis, Plakas, Lipsey, Paletko, Stallworth, Jamnick, Gieleghem, O'Neil, Vander Veen and Hardman and referred to the Committee on Criminal Justice.

        

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                 A bill to amend 1931 PA 328, entitled                                             

                                                                                

    "The Michigan penal code,"                                                  

                                                                                

    by amending section 136b (MCL 750.136b), as amended by 1999 PA              

                                                                                

    273.                                                                        

                                                                                

                THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:                      

                                                                                

1       Sec. 136b.  (1) As used in this section:                                    

                                                                                

2       (a) "Child" means a person who is less than 18 years of age                 

                                                                                

3   and is not emancipated by operation of law as provided in section           

                                                                                

4   4 of 1968 PA 293, MCL 722.4.                                                

                                                                                

5       (b) "Cruel" means brutal, inhuman, sadistic, or that which                  

                                                                                

6   torments.                                                                   

                                                                                

7       (c) "Omission" means a willful failure to provide the food,                 

                                                                                

8   clothing, or shelter necessary for a child's welfare or the                 

                                                                                

9   willful abandonment of a child.                                             

                                                                                

10      (d) "Person" means a child's parent or guardian or any other                

                                                                                


                                                                                

1   person who cares for, has custody of, or has authority over a               

                                                                                

2   child regardless of the length of time that a child is cared for,           

                                                                                

3   in the custody of, or subject to the authority of that person.              

                                                                                

4       (e) "Physical harm" means any injury to a child's physical                  

                                                                                

5   condition.                                                                  

                                                                                

6       (f) "Serious physical harm" means any physical injury to a                  

                                                                                

7   child that seriously impairs the child's health or physical                 

                                                                                

8   well-being, including, but not limited to, brain damage, a skull            

                                                                                

9   or bone fracture, subdural hemorrhage or hematoma, dislocation,             

                                                                                

10  sprain, internal injury, poisoning, burn or scald, or severe                

                                                                                

11  cut.                                                                        

                                                                                

12      (g) "Serious mental harm" means an injury to a child's mental               

                                                                                

13  condition or welfare that is not necessarily permanent but                  

                                                                                

14  results in visibly demonstrable manifestations of a substantial             

                                                                                

15  disorder of thought or mood which significantly impairs judgment,           

                                                                                

16  behavior, capacity to recognize reality, or ability to cope with            

                                                                                

17  the ordinary demands of life.                                               

                                                                                

18      (2) A person is guilty of child abuse in the first degree if                

                                                                                

19  the person knowingly or intentionally causes serious physical or            

                                                                                

20  serious mental harm to a child.  Child abuse in the first degree            

                                                                                

21  is a felony punishable as follows:                                          

                                                                                

22      (a) Except as provided in subdivision (b), by imprisonment                  

                                                                                

23  for not more than 15 years.                                                 

                                                                                

24      (b) Except as provided in section 316, if the violation                     

                                                                                

25  results in the death of the child, by imprisonment for life or              

                                                                                

26  any term of years but not less than 15 years.                               

                                                                                

27      (3) A person is guilty of child abuse in the second degree if               


                                                                                

1   any of the following apply:                                                 

                                                                                

2       (a) The person's omission causes serious physical harm or                   

                                                                                

3   serious mental harm to a child or if the person's reckless act              

                                                                                

4   causes serious physical harm to a child.                                    

                                                                                

5       (b) The person knowingly or intentionally commits an act                    

                                                                                

6   likely to cause serious physical or mental harm to a child                  

                                                                                

7   regardless of whether harm results.                                         

                                                                                

8       (c) The person knowingly or intentionally commits an act that               

                                                                                

9   is cruel to a child regardless of whether harm results.                     

                                                                                

10      (4) Child abuse in the second degree is a felony punishable                 

                                                                                

11  by imprisonment for not more than 4 years.                                  

                                                                                

12      (5) A person is guilty of child abuse in the third degree if                

                                                                                

13  the person knowingly or intentionally causes physical harm to a             

                                                                                

14  child.  Child abuse in the third degree is a misdemeanor                    

                                                                                

15  punishable by imprisonment for not more than 2 years.                       

                                                                                

16      (6) A person is guilty of child abuse in the fourth degree if               

                                                                                

17  the person's omission or reckless act causes physical harm to a             

                                                                                

18  child.  Child abuse in the fourth degree is a misdemeanor                   

                                                                                

19  punishable by imprisonment for not more than 1 year.                        

                                                                                

20      (7) This section does not prohibit a parent or guardian, or                 

                                                                                

21  other person permitted by law or authorized by the parent or                

                                                                                

22  guardian, from taking steps to reasonably discipline a child,               

                                                                                

23  including the use of reasonable force.