SENATE BILL No. 1378

 

 

September 9, 2004, Introduced by Senators CHERRY, BASHAM, OLSHOVE, SCHAUER, SWITALSKI, CLARKE, BRATER, EMERSON, JACOBS and PATTERSON and referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

 

 

        

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                 A bill to amend 1970 PA 91, entitled                                              

                                                                                

    "Child custody act of 1970,"                                                

                                                                                

    by amending section 6c (MCL 722.26c), as added by 1993 PA 259.              

                                                                                

                THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:                      

                                                                                

1       Sec. 6c.  (1) A third person may bring an action for custody                

                                                                                

2   of a child if the court finds either of the following:                      

                                                                                

3       (a) Both of the following:                                                  

                                                                                

4                                                                                (i) The child was placed for adoption with the third person                         

                                                                                

5   under the adoption laws of this or another state, and the                   

                                                                                

6   placement order is still in effect at the time the action is                

                                                                                

7   filed.                                                                      

                                                                                

8       (ii) After the placement, the child has resided with the                     

                                                                                

9   third person for a minimum of 6 months.                                     

                                                                                

10      (b) All of the following:                                                   

                                                                                

11                                                                               (i) The child's biological parents have never been married                          

                                                                                


                                                                                

1   to one another.                                                             

                                                                                

2       (ii) The child's parent who has custody of the child dies,                   

                                                                                

3   is incapacitated, or is missing and the other parent has not been           

                                                                                

4   granted legal custody under court order.                                    

                                                                                

5       (iii) The third person is related to the child within the                    

                                                                                

6   fifth degree by marriage, blood, or adoption.                               

                                                                                

7       (2) A third person shall include with an action filed under                 

                                                                                

8   this section both of the following:                                         

                                                                                

9       (a) An affidavit setting forth facts relative to the                        

                                                                                

10  existence of the prerequisites required by subsection (1)(a) or             

                                                                                

11  (b).                                                                        

                                                                                

12      (b) Notice that a defense or objection to a third person's                  

                                                                                

13  right to bring an action for custody may be raised as an                    

                                                                                

14  affirmative defense or by a motion for summary disposition based            

                                                                                

15  on lack of standing as provided in the Michigan court rules.                

                                                                                

16      (3) As used in this section, "incapacitated" means impaired                 

                                                                                

17  by reason of mental illness, mental deficiency, physical illness            

                                                                                

18  or disability, chronic use of drugs, chronic intoxication, or               

                                                                                

19  other cause to the extent of lacking sufficient understanding or            

                                                                                

20  capacity to make or communicate informed decisions.