DEATH OF A CHILD: REVIEW S.B. 261 (S-1): FLOOR SUMMARY
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Senate Bill 261 (Substitute S-1 as reported)
Sponsor: Senator Alan L. Cropsey
Committee: Families and Human Services

CONTENT
The bill would amend the Child Protection Law (CPL) to do the following:

-- Require a child fatality review team and the advisory committee created under the CPL to include a representative of a State or local court.
-- Require the citizen review panel to review each child fatality involving allegations of child abuse or neglect for each child who, at the time of death or within the preceding 12 months, was under the jurisdiction of the family court in an abuse or neglect case.
-- Require the advisory committee to transmit its annual report of child fatalities to the Department of Human Services (DHS), and publish the report between 60 and 90 days after transmitting it to the DHS.


The CPL requires each county to have a standing child fatality review team, although two or more counties may appoint a single review team for those counties. The CPL also requires the DHS to establish a multi-agency, multidisciplinary advisory committee to identify and make recommendations on policy and statutory changes pertaining to child fatalities and to guide statewide prevention, education, and training efforts. The Law defines "citizen review panel" as a panel established as required by the Federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act. (Pursuant to Federal law, Michigan has a Child Death CRP, a Prevention CRP, and a Child Protective Services, Foster Care, and Adoption CRP.)


The CPL requires the advisory committee to publish an annual report on child fatalities, using an annual compilation of child fatalities reported by the State Registrar under the Public Health Code and data received from the child fatality review teams. The report must include information specified in the Law, and the DHS must transmit it to the Governor and the legislative committees with jurisdiction over child protection matters.


MCL 722.627b Legislative Analyst: Curtis Walker

FISCAL IMPACT
The bill would have no fiscal impact on State or local government.


Date Completed: 3-12-09 Fiscal Analyst: David Fosdick

Analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent. sb261/0910