REPORTING DISCOVERY OF DEAD BODY S.B. 231:
COMMITTEE SUMMARY
[Please see the PDF version of this analysis, if available, to view this image.]
Senate Bill 231 (as introduced 3-8-11)
Sponsor: Senator Tonya Schuitmaker
Committee: Judiciary
Date Completed: 5-16-11
CONTENT
The bill would amend Part 28 (Vital Records) of the Public Health Code to prescribe a criminal penalty for failing to inform a law enforcement agency or 9-1-1 operator of the discovery of a dead body under certain circumstances.
Specifically, except as otherwise provided under Part 28, if an individual discovered the body of a person he or she knew or had reason to know to be dead and, with the purpose of hiding or concealing the fact or cause of death, failed to inform a law enforcement agency or a 9-1-1 operator of the discovery, the individual would be guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year's imprisonment and/or a maximum fine of $1,000.
The bill would take effect 90 days after its enactment.
MCL 333.2841 Legislative Analyst: Patrick Affholter
FISCAL IMPACT
The bill would have an indeterminate fiscal impact on State and local government. There are no data to indicate how many offenders would be convicted of the proposed misdemeanor offense. Local governments would incur the costs of incarceration in local facilities, which vary by county. Additional penal fine revenue would benefit public libraries.
Fiscal Analyst: Matthew Grabowski
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. sb231/1112