CPS RECORDS TO CERTAIN LEGISLATORS

House Bill 5964

Sponsor: Rep. Virg Bernero

Committee: Family and Children Services

Complete to 7-25-02

A SUMMARY OF HOUSE BILL 5964 AS INTRODUCED 4-25-02

The bill would amend the Child Protection Law (Public Act 238 of 1975) to require that, when a child has died, state legislators be given access to a related child protection record of the Family Independence Agency (FIA) or the child fatality review team, upon request. To have access to the records, a legislator would have to serve the district in which the child's death took place or in which the child resided at the time of death, or be a member of a House or Senate standing committee or appropriations subcommittee having jurisdiction over child protection matters. However, the bill would not allow the release of the identity of a person making a report of abuse or neglect, nor of law enforcement agency reports concerning ongoing investigations. Furthermore, granting a legislator access to view child protection records would not make the record subject to the Freedom of Information Act (Public Act 442 of 1976).

MCL 722.625

Analyst: M. Wolf

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan House staff for use by House members in their deliberations, and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.