DEATH OF A CHILD S.B. 226 (S-1)-229 (S-1):
FLOOR SUMMARY
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Senate Bill 226 (Substitute S-1 as reported)
Senate Bill 227 (Substitute S-1 as reported)
Senate Bill 228 (as reported without amendment)
Senate Bill 229 (Substitute S-1 as reported)
Sponsor: Senator Mark C. Jansen (S.B. 226)
Senator Vincent Gregory (S.B. 227)
Senator Judy K. Emmons (S.B. 228)
Senator Mike Nofs (S.B. 229)
Committee: Families, Seniors, and Human Services
CONTENT
Senate Bill 226 (S-1) would amend the Child Protection Law (CPL) to require the Department of Human Services (DHS) to establish and maintain a publicly accessible registry of statistical information regarding children's deaths. The registry could not disclose any identifying information.
Senate Bill 227 (S-1) would amend the CPL to require the DHS, if a child died while under the court's jurisdiction in a suspected abuse or neglect case, to notify the court, the State legislators representing the district in which the court was located, and the Children's Ombudsman. The bill also would require the DHS to notify the Ombudsman within one business day when a child died during an active Child Protective Services (CPS) investigation or an open CPS case, if there had been previous complaints about the child's caretaker, or if the death could have resulted from abuse or neglect.
Senate Bill 228 would amend the CPL to expand the availability of a written report, document, or photograph filed with the DHS under the CPL. The Law makes this information confidential and available only to certain government agencies, law enforcement officials, and other specified entities. The bill also would make the information available to a court that had jurisdiction over a child due to suspected abuse or neglect, in the event of the child's death.
Senate Bill 229 (S-1) would amend the CPL to do the following:
-- Require a child fatality review team and the advisory committee created under the Law to include a representative of a State or local court.
-- Require the citizen review panel to review each child fatality involving allegations of abuse or neglect for each child who, at the time of death or within the prior year, was under the family court's jurisdiction in an abuse or neglect case.
-- Require the advisory committee to transmit its annual report of child fatalities to the DHS, and require the Department to ensure the publication of the report between 30 and 60 days after the advisory committee transmitted it.
MCL 722.627b (S.B. 226) Legislative Analyst: Patrick Affholter
Proposed MCL 722.627k (S.B. 227)
MCL 722.627 (S.B. 228)
722.627b (S.B. 229)
FISCAL IMPACT
Senate Bill 226 (S-1): According to the Department of Human Services, data that would be used in the registry mandated by the bill are already collected by the child fatality review teams and made available to the Legislature. The bill would likely lead to a small, indeterminate increase in administrative cost to the Department associated with modifying available information for use in a registry and modifying the Department's internet home page to meet the requirements of the bill.
Senate Bills 227 (S-1), 228, & 229 (S-1): The bills would have no fiscal impact on State or local government.
Date Completed: 5-12-11 Fiscal Analyst: Frances Carley
Analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent. sb226-229/1112