Bill Text: MI HB4704 | 2019-2020 | 100th Legislature | Engrossed
Bill Title: Children: protection; child protection law; modify to require the department to document why an investigation was abbreviated and to allow for an abbreviated checklist. Amends secs. 2 & 8e of 1975 PA 238 (MCL 722.622 & 722.628e).
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Republican 8-2)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2020-01-21 - Referred To Committee On Families, Seniors And Veterans [HB4704 Detail]
Download: Michigan-2019-HB4704-Engrossed.html
HOUSE BILL NO. 4704
June 11, 2019, Introduced by Reps. Crawford,
Hall, Rendon, Webber, Reilly, Liberati, LaFave, Schroeder, Camilleri and
Allor and referred to the Committee on Families, Children, and Seniors.
A bill to amend 1975 PA 238, entitled
"Child protection law,"
by amending sections 2 and 8e (MCL 722.622 and 722.628e), section 2 as amended by 2018 PA 59 and section 8e as added by 2008 PA 511.
the people of the state of michigan enact:
(a) "Abbreviated investigation" means an investigation in which a full investigation with all investigative policy requirements is not conducted and the department has determined that the case will result in a category V disposition.
(b) (a) "Adult foster care location authorized to care for a child" means an adult foster care family home or adult foster care small group home as defined in section 3 of the adult foster care facility licensing act, 1979 PA 218, MCL 400.703, in which a child is placed in accordance with section 5 of 1973 PA 116, MCL 722.115.
(c) (b) "Attorney" means, if appointed to represent a child under the provisions referenced in section 10, an attorney serving as the child's legal advocate in the manner defined and described in section 13a of chapter XIIA of the probate code of 1939, 1939 PA 288, MCL 712A.13a.
(d) (c) "Central registry" means the system maintained at the department that is used to keep a record of all reports filed with the department under this act in which relevant and accurate evidence of child abuse or child neglect is found to exist.
(e) (d) "Central registry case" means a child protective services case that the department classifies under sections 8 and 8d as category I or category II. For a child protective services case that was investigated before July 1, 1999, central registry case means an allegation of child abuse or child neglect that the department substantiated.
(f) (e) "Centralized intake" means the department's statewide centralized processing center for reports of suspected child abuse and child neglect.
(g) (f) "Child" means a person under 18 years of age.
(h) (g) "Child abuse" means harm or threatened harm to a child's health or welfare that occurs through nonaccidental physical or mental injury, sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, or maltreatment, by a parent, a legal guardian, or any other person responsible for the child's health or welfare or by a teacher, a teacher's aide, or a member of the clergy.
(i) (h) "Child care organization" means that term as defined in section 1 of 1973 PA 116, MCL 722.111.
(j) (i) "Child care provider" means an owner, operator, employee, or volunteer of a child care organization or of an adult foster care location authorized to care for a child.
(k) (j) "Child care regulatory agency" means the department of licensing and regulatory affairs or a successor state department that is responsible for the licensing or registration of child care organizations or the licensing of adult foster care locations authorized to care for a child.
(l) (k) "Child neglect" means harm or threatened harm to a child's health or welfare by a parent, legal guardian, or any other person responsible for the child's health or welfare that occurs through either of the following:
(i) Negligent treatment, including the failure to provide adequate food, clothing, shelter, or medical care, though financially able to do so, or by the failure to seek financial or other reasonable means to provide adequate food, clothing, shelter, or medical care.
(ii) Placing a child at an unreasonable risk to the child's health or welfare by failure of the parent, legal guardian, or other person responsible for the child's health or welfare to intervene to eliminate that risk when that person is able to do so and has, or should have, knowledge of the risk.
(m) (l) "Children's advocacy center" means an entity accredited as a child advocacy center by the National Children's Alliance or its successor agency or an entity granted associate or developing membership status by the National Children's Alliance or its successor agency.
(n) (m) "Citizen review panel" means a panel established as required by section 5106a of the child abuse prevention and treatment act, 42 USC 5106a.
(o) "Controlled substance" means that term as defined in section 7104 of the public health code, 1978 PA 368, MCL 333.7104.
(p) "CPSI system" means the child protective service information system, which is an internal data system maintained within and by the department, and which is separate from the central registry and not subject to section 7.
(q) "Department" means the department of health and human services.
(r) "Director" means the director of the department.
(s) "Expunge" means to physically remove or eliminate and destroy a record or report.
(t) "Investigation checklist" means a tool used by a supervisor to review and verify compliance with investigation requirements.
(u) (t) "Lawyer-guardian ad litem" means an attorney appointed under section 10 who has the powers and duties referenced by section 10.
(v) (u) "Local office file" means the system used to keep a record of a written report, document, or photograph filed with and maintained by a county or a regionally based office of the department.
(w) "Member of the clergy" means a priest, minister, rabbi, Christian science practitioner, or other religious practitioner, or similar functionary of a church, temple, or recognized religious body, denomination, or organization.
(x) (v) "Nonparent adult" means a person who is 18 years of age or older and who, regardless of the person's domicile, meets all of the following criteria in relation to a child:
(i) Has substantial and regular contact with the child.
(ii) Has a close personal relationship with the child's parent or with a person responsible for the child's health or welfare.
(iii) Is not the child's parent or a person otherwise related to the child by blood or affinity to the third degree.
(y) (w) "Online reporting system" means the electronic system established by the department for individuals identified in section 3(1) to report suspected child abuse or child neglect.
(z) (x) "Person responsible for the child's health or welfare" means a parent, legal guardian, person 18 years of age or older who resides for any length of time in the same home in which the child resides, or, except when used in section 7(2)(e) or 8(8), nonparent adult; or an owner, operator, volunteer, or employee of 1 or more of the following:
(i) A licensed or registered child care organization.
(ii) A licensed or unlicensed adult foster care family home or adult foster care small group home as defined in section 3 of the adult foster care facility licensing act, 1979 PA 218, MCL 400.703.
(iii) A court-operated facility as approved under section 14 of the social welfare act, 1939 PA 280, MCL 400.14.
(aa) (y) "Relevant evidence" means evidence having a tendency to make the existence of a fact that is at issue more probable than it would be without the evidence.
(bb) (z) "Sexual abuse" means engaging in sexual contact or sexual penetration as those terms are defined in section 520a of the Michigan penal code, 1931 PA 328, MCL 750.520a, with a child.
(cc) (aa) "Sexual exploitation" includes allowing, permitting, or encouraging a child to engage in prostitution, or allowing, permitting, encouraging, or engaging in the photographing, filming, or depicting of a child engaged in a listed sexual act as defined in section 145c of the Michigan penal code, 1931 PA 328, MCL 750.145c.
(dd) (bb) "Specified information" means information in a children's protective services case record related specifically to the department's actions in responding to a complaint of child abuse or child neglect. Specified information does not include any of the following:
(i) Except as provided in this subparagraph regarding a perpetrator of child abuse or child neglect, personal identification information for any individual identified in a child protective services record. The exclusion of personal identification information as specified information prescribed by this subparagraph does not include personal identification information identifying an individual alleged to have perpetrated child abuse or child neglect, which allegation has been classified as a central registry case.
(ii) Information in a police agency report or other law enforcement agency report as provided in section 7(8).
(iii) Any other information that is specifically designated as confidential under other law.
(iv) Any information not related to the department's actions in responding to a report of child abuse or child neglect.
(ee) (cc) "Structured decision-making tool" means the department document labeled "DSS-4752 (P3) (3-95)" or a revision of that document that better measures the risk of future harm to a child.
(ff) (dd) "Substantiated" means a child protective services case classified as a central registry case.
(gg) (ee) "Unsubstantiated" means a child protective services case the department classifies under sections 8 and 8d as category III, category IV, or category V.
Sec. 8e. (1) The department shall implement Except as provided in subsection (5), an investigation checklist to shall be used in each investigation of suspected abuse and child neglect handled by the department.
(2) Subject to subsections (3), and (4), and (5), an investigation shall not be closed until the checklist described in subsection (1) is completed.
(3) A If an investigation is not an abbreviated investigation, a supervisor must review the completed checklist. If the supervisor determines that the investigation complies with the investigation checklist and with the following state laws and department policy, the investigation may be closed:
(a) Face-to-face contact was made with all alleged child victims.
(b) A petition was filed as required by sections 8d(1)(e), 17, and 18.
(c) A petition was filed when court intervention was needed to ensure child safety.
(d) Any other items that impact child safety and well-being that are specifically outlined in department policy to require the approvals outlined in subsection (4).
(4) If an investigation is not an abbreviated investigation and the supervisor determines that the investigation does not comply with the investigation checklist and the state laws and department policy outlined in subsection (3), the supervisor shall determine the reason the investigation checklist and state law or department policy outlined in subsection (3) were not followed. An investigation that falls under this subsection shall not be closed until after the local office director has reviewed the investigation.
(5) A caseworker must document why an investigation was an abbreviated investigation. An investigation checklist is not required for an abbreviated investigation. Before an abbreviated investigation can be closed, the investigation must be approved by the county director or his or her designee. If this review and approval does not occur, the caseworker must conduct a full investigation.
