SB-0259, As Passed Senate, March 19, 2009

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SUBSTITUTE FOR

 

SENATE BILL NO. 259

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     A bill to create the office of the legislative child fatality

 

examiner; and to prescribe the powers and duties of the legislative

 

child fatality examiner, the legislative council, certain state

 

departments and officers, and certain county and private agencies

 

serving children.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the

 

"legislative child fatality review act".

 

     Sec. 2. As used in this act:

 

     (a) "Department" means the department of human services.

 

     (b) "Examiner" means the legislative child fatality examiner

 

created in section 3.

 

     Sec. 3. (1) The office of the legislative child fatality

 

examiner is created within the legislative council.

 

     (2) At the request of both the senate majority leader and the

 

speaker of the house of representatives, the legislative council

 

administrator shall either contract for the services of a

 

legislative child fatality examiner to carry out the provisions of

 

this act or appoint a designee to serve as the legislative child

 

fatality examiner, who shall serve at the pleasure of the

 

legislative council.

 

     (3) The principal purpose for the examiner is to identify

 

specific causes and systemic problems that contribute to the

 

mortality of children in foster care.

 

     (4) The office of the legislative child fatality examiner

 

shall request and the examiner shall review the reports published

 

by the office of the children's ombudsman under section 10 of the

 

children's ombudsman's act, the state advisory committee created

 

under section 7b(4) of the child protection law, 1975 PA 238, MCL

 

722.627b, information from the public registry created in section

 

7b(10) of the child protection law, 1975 PA 238, MCL 722.627b, and

 

any other source of information on a child death that occurs while

 

a child is under a Michigan court's jurisdiction. The examiner

 

shall make a report upon completion of the review required under

 

this subsection to the standing committees of the legislature with

 

jurisdiction over matters pertaining to child protection.

 

     Enacting section 1. This act does not take effect unless

 

Senate Bill No. 257 of the 95th Legislature is enacted into law.