HB-4586, As Passed Senate, December 8, 2004

    SUBSTITUTE FOR

    HOUSE BILL NO. 4586

A bill to amend 1975 PA 238, entitled                                             

"Child protection law,"                                                     

by amending sections 2, 5, 7, 7c, and 7j (MCL 722.622, 722.625, 722.627,    

722.627c, and 722.627j), section 2 as amended by 2002 PA 693, section 5     

as amended and section 7c as added by 1998 PA 428, section 7 as amended     

by 2002 PA 661, and section 7j as added by 2002 PA 716.                     

    THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

1       Sec. 2.  As used in this act:                                               

2       (a) "Adult foster care location authorized to care for a                    

3   child" means an adult foster care family home or adult foster               

4   care small group home as defined in section 3 of the adult foster           

5   care facility licensing act, 1979 PA 218, MCL 400.703, in which a           

6   child is placed in accordance with section 5 of 1973 PA 116, MCL            

7   722.115.                                                                    

8       (b) "Attorney" means, if appointed to represent a child under               

1   the provisions referenced in section 10, an attorney serving as             

2   the child's legal advocate in the manner defined and described in           

3   section 13a of chapter XIIA of the probate code of 1939, 1939               

4   PA 288, MCL 712A.13a.                                                       

5       (c) "Central registry" means the system maintained at the                   

6   department that is used to keep a record of all reports filed               

7   with the department under this act in which relevant and accurate           

8   evidence of child abuse or neglect is found to exist.                       

9       (d) "Central registry case" means a child protective services               

10  case that the department classifies under sections 8 and 8d as              

11  category I or category II.  For a child protective services case            

12  that was investigated before July 1, 1999, central registry case            

13  means an allegation of child abuse or neglect that the department           

14  substantiated.                                                              

15      (e) "Child" means a person under 18 years of age.                           

16      (f) "Child abuse" means harm or threatened harm to a child's                

17  health or welfare that occurs through nonaccidental physical or             

18  mental injury, sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, or                        

19  maltreatment, by a parent, a legal guardian, or any other person            

20  responsible for the child's health or welfare or by a teacher, a            

21  teacher's aide, or a member of the clergy.                                  

22      (g) "Child care organization" means that term as defined in                 

23  section 1 of 1973 PA 116, MCL 722.111.                                      

24      (h) "Child care provider" means an owner, operator, employee,               

25  or volunteer of a child care organization or of an adult foster             

26  care location authorized to care for a child.                               

27      (i) "Child care regulatory agency" means the department of                  

1   consumer and industry services or a successor state department              

2   that is responsible for the licensing or registration of child              

3   care organizations or the licensing of adult foster care                    

4   locations authorized to care for a child.                                   

5       (j) "Child neglect" means harm or threatened harm to a                      

6   child's health or welfare by a parent, legal guardian, or any               

7   other person responsible for the child's health or welfare that             

8   occurs through either of the following:                                     

9                                                                                (i) Negligent treatment, including the failure to provide                           

10  adequate food, clothing, shelter, or medical care.                          

11      (ii) Placing a child at an unreasonable risk to the child's                  

12  health or welfare by failure of the parent, legal guardian, or              

13  other person responsible for the child's health or welfare to               

14  intervene to eliminate that risk when that person is able to do             

15  so and has, or should have, knowledge of the risk.                          

16      (k) "Citizen review panel" means a panel established as                     

17  required by section 106 of title I of the child abuse prevention            

18  and treatment act, Public Law 93-247, 42 U.S.C. 5106a.                      

19                                                                               (l) "Member of the clergy" means a priest, minister, rabbi,                         

20  Christian science practitioner, or other religious practitioner,            

21  or similar functionary of a church, temple, or recognized                   

22  religious body, denomination, or organization.                              

23      (m) "Controlled substance" means that term as defined in                    

24  section 7104 of the public health code, 1978 PA 368,                        

25  MCL 333.7104.                                                               

26      (n) "CPSI system" means the child protective service                        

27  information system, which is an internal data system maintained             

1   within and by the department, and which is separate from the                

2   central registry and not subject to section 7.                              

3       (o) "Department" means the family independence agency.                      

4       (p) "Director" means the director of the department.                        

5       (q) "Expunge" means to physically remove or eliminate and                   

6   destroy a record or report.                                                 

7       (r) "Lawyer-guardian ad litem" means an attorney appointed                  

8   under section 10 who has the powers and duties referenced by                

9   section 10.                                                                 

10      (s) "Local office file" means the system used to keep a                     

11  record of a written report, document, or photograph filed with              

12  and maintained by a county or a regionally based office of the              

13  department.                                                                 

14      (t) "Nonparent adult" means a person who is 18 years of age                 

15  or older and who, regardless of the person's domicile, meets all            

16  of the following criteria in relation to a child:                           

17                                                                               (i) Has substantial and regular contact with the child.                             

18      (ii) Has a close personal relationship with the child's                      

19  parent or with a person responsible for the child's health or               

20  welfare.                                                                    

21      (iii) Is not the child's parent or a person otherwise related                

22  to the child by blood or affinity to the third degree.                      

23      (u) "Person responsible for the child's health or welfare"                  

24  means a parent, legal guardian, person 18 years of age or older             

25  who resides for any length of time in the same home in which the            

26  child resides, or, except when used in section 7(2)(e) or 8(8),             

27  nonparent adult; or an owner, operator, volunteer, or employee of           

1   1 or more of the following:                                                 

2                                                                                (i) A licensed or registered child care organization.                               

3       (ii) A licensed or unlicensed adult foster care family home                  

4   or adult foster care small group home as defined in section 3 of            

5   the adult foster care facility licensing act, 1979 PA 218,                  

6   MCL 400.703.                                                                

7       (v) "Relevant evidence" means evidence having a tendency to                 

8   make the existence of a fact that is at issue more probable than            

9   it would be without the evidence.                                           

10      (w) "Sexual abuse" means engaging in sexual contact or sexual               

11  penetration as those terms are defined in section 520a of the               

12  Michigan penal code, 1931 PA 328, MCL 750.520a, with a child.               

13      (x) "Sexual exploitation" includes allowing, permitting, or                 

14  encouraging a child to engage in prostitution, or allowing,                 

15  permitting, encouraging, or engaging in the photographing,                  

16  filming, or depicting of a child engaged in a listed sexual act             

17  as defined in section 145c of the Michigan penal code, 1931                 

18  PA 328, MCL 750.145c.                                                       

19      (y) "Specified information" means information in a  central                 

20  registry children's protective services case record  that                  

21  relates specifically to referrals or reports related                       

22  specifically to the department's actions in responding to a                 

23  complaint of child abuse or neglect.  Specified information does            

24  not include any of the following:                                           

25                                                                               (i) Except as provided in this subparagraph regarding a                             

26  perpetrator of child abuse or neglect, personal identification              

27  information for any individual identified in a child protective             

House Bill 4586 as amended December 8, 2004                                 

1   services record.  The exclusion of personal identification                  

2   information as specified information prescribed by this                     

3   subparagraph does not include personal identification information           

4   identifying an individual alleged to have perpetrated child abuse           

5   or neglect, which allegation has been classified as a central               

6   registry case.                                                              

7       (ii) Information in a law enforcement report as provided in                  

8   section 7(8).                                                               

9       (iii) Any other information that is specifically designated                  

10  as confidential under other law.                                            

11  (iv) Any information not related to the department's actions                 

12  in responding to a report of child abuse or neglect.

13      (z) "Structured decision-making tool" means the department                  

14  document labeled "DSS-4752 (P3) (3-95)" or a revision of that               

15  document that better measures the risk of future harm to a                  

16  child.                                                                      

17      (aa) "Substantiated" means a child protective services case                 

18  classified as a central registry case.                                      

19      (bb) "Unsubstantiated" means a child protective services case               

20  the department classifies under sections 8 and 8d as                        

21  category III, category IV, or category V.                                   

    <<Sec. 5. Except for records available under section 7(2)(a), and (b), and (n), the identity of a reporting person is confidential subject to disclosure only with the consent of that person or by judicial process. A person acting in good faith who makes a report, cooperates in an investigation, or assists in any other requirement of this act is immune from civil or criminal liability that might otherwise be incurred by that action. A person making a report or assisting in any other requirement of this act is presumed to have acted in good faith. This immunity from civil or criminal liability extends only to acts done pursuant according to this act and does not extend to a negligent act that causes personal injury or death or to the malpractice of a physician that results in personal injury or death.>>

22      Sec. 7.  (1) The department shall maintain a statewide,                     

23  electronic central registry to carry out the intent of this act.            

24      (2) Unless made public as specified information released                    

25  under section 7d, a written report, document, or photograph filed           

26  with the department as provided in this act is a confidential               

27  record available only to 1 or more of the following:                        

1       (a) A legally mandated public or private child protective                   

2   agency investigating a report of known or suspected child abuse             

3   or neglect.                                                                 

4       (b) A police or other law enforcement agency investigating a                

5   report of known or suspected child abuse or neglect.                        

6       (c) A physician who is treating a child whom the physician                  

7   reasonably suspects may be abused or neglected.                             

8       (d) A person legally authorized to place a child in                         

9   protective custody when the person is confronted with a child               

10  whom the person reasonably suspects may be abused or neglected              

11  and the confidential record is necessary to determine whether to            

12  place the child in protective custody.                                      

13      (e) A person, agency, or organization, including a                          

14  multidisciplinary case consultation team, authorized to diagnose,           

15  care for, treat, or supervise a child or family who is the                  

16  subject of a report or record under this act, or who is                     

17  responsible for the child's health or welfare.                              

18      (f) A person named in the report or record as a perpetrator                 

19  or alleged perpetrator of the child abuse or neglect or a victim            

20  who is an adult at the time of the request, if the identity of              

21  the reporting person is protected as provided in section 5.                 

22      (g) A court that determines the information is necessary to                 

23  decide an issue before the court.                                           

24      (h) A grand jury that determines the information is necessary               

25  in the to conduct  of  the grand jury's official business.                

26      (i) A person, agency, or organization engaged in a bona fide                

27  research or evaluation project.  The person, agency, or                     

1   organization shall not release information identifying a person             

2   named in the report or record unless that person's written                  

3   consent is obtained.  The person, agency, or organization shall             

4   not conduct a personal interview with a family without the                  

5   family's prior consent and shall not disclose information that              

6   would identify the child or the child's family or other                     

7   identifying information.  The department director may authorize             

8   the release of information to a person, agency, or organization             

9   described in this subdivision if the release contributes to the             

10  purposes of this act and the person, agency, or organization has            

11  appropriate controls to maintain the confidentiality of                     

12  personally identifying information for a person named in a report           

13  or record made under this act.                                              

14      (j) A lawyer-guardian ad litem or other attorney appointed as               

15  provided by section 10.                                                     

16      (k) A child placing agency licensed under 1973 PA 116,                      

17  MCL 722.111 to 722.128, for the purpose of investigating an                 

18  applicant for adoption, a foster care applicant or licensee or an           

19  employee of a foster care applicant or licensee, an adult member            

20  of an applicant's or licensee's household, or other persons in a            

21  foster care or adoptive home who are directly responsible for the           

22  care and welfare of children, to determine suitability of a home            

23  for adoption or foster care.  The child placing agency shall                

24  disclose the information to a foster care applicant or licensee             

25  under 1973 PA 116, MCL 722.111 to 722.128, or to an applicant for           

26  adoption.                                                                   

27                                                                               (l)  Juvenile Family division of circuit court staff                                

1   authorized by the court to investigate foster care applicants and           

2   licensees, employees of foster care applicants and licensees,               

3   adult members of the applicant's or licensee's household, and               

4   other persons in the home who are directly responsible for the              

5   care and welfare of children, for the purpose of determining the            

6   suitability of the home for foster care.  The court shall                   

7   disclose this information to the applicant or licensee.                     

8       (m) Subject to section 7a, a standing or select committee or                

9   appropriations subcommittee of either house of the legislature              

10  having jurisdiction over child protective services matters.  for            

11  children.

12      (n) The children's ombudsman appointed under the children's                 

13  ombudsman act, 1994 PA 204, MCL 722.921 to 722.935.                         

14      (o) A child fatality review team established under section 7b               

15  and authorized under that section to investigate and review a               

16  child death.                                                                

17      (p) A county medical examiner or deputy county medical                      

18  examiner appointed under 1953 PA 181, MCL 52.201 to 52.216, for             

19  the purpose of carrying out his or her duties under that act.               

20      (q) A citizen review panel established by the department.                   

21  Access under this subdivision  shall be is limited to                      

22  information the department determines is necessary for the panel            

23  to carry out its prescribed duties.                                         

24      (r) A child care regulatory agency.                                         

25  (s) A foster care review board for the purpose of meeting the               

26  requirements of 1984 PA 422, MCL 722.131 to 722.139a.

27      (3) Subject to subsection (9), a person or entity to whom                   

1   information described in subsection (2) is disclosed shall make             

2   the information available only to a person or entity described in           

3   subsection (2).  This subsection does not require a court                   

4   proceeding to be closed that otherwise would be open to the                 

5   public.                                                                     

6       (4) If the department classifies a report of suspected child                

7   abuse or neglect as a central registry case, the department shall           

8   maintain a record in the central registry and, within 30 days               

9   after the classification, shall notify in writing each                      

10  individual person who is named in the record as a perpetrator             

11  of the child abuse or neglect.  The notice shall set forth the              

12  individual's person's right to request expunction of the record           

13  and the right to a hearing if the department refuses the                    

14  request.  The notice shall state that the record may be released            

15  under section 7d.  The notice shall not identify the person                 

16  reporting the suspected child abuse or neglect.                             

17      (5) A person who is the subject of a report or record made                  

18  under this act may request the department to amend an inaccurate            

19  report or record from the central registry and local office                 

20  file.  A person who is the subject of a report or record made               

21  under this act may request the department to expunge from the               

22  central registry a report or record in which no relevant and                

23  accurate evidence of abuse or neglect is found to exist.  A                 

24  report or record filed in a local office file is not subject to             

25  expunction except as the department authorizes,  when if

26  considered in the best interest of the child.                               

27      (6) If the department refuses a request for amendment or                    

1   expunction under subsection (5), or fails to act within 30 days             

2   after receiving the request, the department shall hold a hearing            

3   to determine by a preponderance of the evidence whether the                 

4   report or record in whole or in part should be amended or                   

5   expunged from the central registry on the grounds that the report           

6   or record is not relevant or accurate evidence of abuse or                  

7   neglect.  The hearing shall be held before a hearing officer                

8   appointed by the department and shall be conducted as prescribed            

9   by the administrative procedures act of 1969, 1969 PA 306,                  

10  MCL 24.201 to 24.328.                                                       

11      (7) If the investigation of a report conducted under this act               

12  fails to disclose evidence of abuse or neglect, the information             

13  identifying the subject of the report shall be expunged from the            

14  central registry.  If evidence of abuse or neglect exists, the              

15  department shall maintain the information in the central registry           

16  until the department receives reliable information that the                 

17  perpetrator of the abuse or neglect is dead.                                

18      (8) In releasing information under this act, the department                 

19  shall not include a report compiled by a police agency or other             

20  law enforcement agency related to an ongoing investigation of               

21  suspected child abuse or neglect.  This subsection does not                 

22  prevent the department from releasing reports of convictions of             

23  crimes related to child abuse or neglect.                                   

24      (9) A member or staff member of a citizen review panel shall                

25  not disclose identifying information about a specific child                 

26  protection case to an individual, partnership, corporation,                 

27  association, governmental entity, or other legal entity.  A                 

1   member or staff member of a citizen review panel is a member of a           

2   board, council, commission, or statutorily created task force of            

3   a governmental agency for the purposes of section 7 of 1964                 

4   PA 170, MCL 691.1407.  Information obtained by a citizen review             

5   panel is not subject to the freedom of information act, 1976                

6   PA 442, MCL 15.231 to 15.246.                                               

7       Sec. 7c.  (1) Sections 7d to 7i govern the director's                       

8   decisions to release specified information from child protective            

9   services records.                                                           

10  (2) The director shall release specified information in a                   

11  child abuse or neglect case in which a child who was a part of              

12  the case has died.

13  (3)  (2)  The director may designate another individual to                  

14  act for the director under sections 7d to 7i, and a reference to            

15  the director under those sections applies to an individual                  

16  designated by the director.                                                 

17  (4)  (3)  For the purposes of sections 7d to 7i, a child's                  

18  best interest shall be determined based on all of the following:            

19      (a) Protection of the child's safety.                                       

20      (b) Preservation of the child's physical, mental, and                       

21  emotional health.                                                           

22      (c) Consideration of the child's likelihood of establishing a               

23  successful and timely permanent family and community                        

24  relationship.                                                               

25  (5)  (4)  Sections 7d to 7i do not subject a report or record               

26  that is confidential under this act to disclosure under the                 

27  freedom of information act, 1976 PA 442, MCL 15.231 to 15.246.              

1       Sec. 7j.  (1) Upon written request, the department may                      

2   provide to an individual documentation stating that the                     

3   individual is not named in a central registry case as the                   

4   perpetrator of child abuse or child neglect.  The written request           

5   required under this section shall include the individual's                  

6   affirmation that he or she is employed by, volunteers at, is                

7   applying for employment in, or is seeking to volunteer in a child           

8   care center, child caring institution, or child placing agency.             

9       (2) For the purpose of applying for employment or seeking to                

10  volunteer in a child care center, child caring institution, or              

11  child placing agency, an individual may share the document                  

12  provided in subsection (1) with the child care center owner or              

13  licensee, or a child caring institution or child placing agency,            

14  or an individual authorized by the child care center owner or               

15  licensee, the child caring institution, or the child placing                

16  agency.                                                                     

17      (3) The family independence agency may develop an automated                 

18  system that will allow an individual applying for child-related             

19  employment or seeking to volunteer in a capacity that would allow           

20  unsupervised access to a child for whom the individual is not a             

21  person responsible for that child's health or welfare to be                 

22  listed in that system if a screening of the individual finds that           

23  he or she has not been named in a central registry case as the              

24  perpetrator of child abuse or child neglect.  The automated                 

25  system developed under this section shall provide for public                

26  access to the list of individuals who have been screened for the            

27  purposes of complying with this section.  An automated system               

1   developed under this section shall have appropriate safeguards              

2   and procedures to ensure that information that is confidential              

3   under this act, state law, or federal law is not accessible or              

4   disclosed through that system.                                              

5   (4) For the purposes of this section or section 7(2)(k) or                  

6   (l), a case investigated before July 1, 1999 and entered in the             

7   central registry is considered a central registry case if that              

8   case meets the criteria under section 8(3)(a), (b), or (c).

9   (4)  (5)  As used in this section, "child care center",                     

10  "child caring institution", and "child placing agency" mean those           

11  terms as defined in section 1 of 1973 PA 116, MCL 722.111.