SENATE BILL NO. 523

A bill to amend 1975 PA 238, entitled

"Child protection law,"

by amending section 18 (MCL 722.638), as amended by 2022 PA 66.

the people of the state of michigan enact:

Sec. 18. (1) The department shall submit a petition for authorization by the court under section 2(b) of chapter XIIA of the probate code of 1939, 1939 PA 288, MCL 712A.2, if 1 or more of the following apply:

(a) The department determines that a parent, guardian, or custodian, or a person who is 18 years of age or older and who resides for any length of time in the child's home, has abused the child or a sibling of the child and the abuse included 1 or more of the following:

(i) Abandonment of a young child.

(ii) Criminal sexual conduct involving penetration, attempted penetration, or assault with intent to penetrate.

(iii) Battering, torture, or other serious physical harm.

(iv) Loss or serious impairment of an organ or limb.

(v) Life threatening injury.

(vi) Murder or attempted murder.

(vii) Human trafficking as that term is defined in section 2 of the human trafficking commission act, 2014 PA 325, MCL 752.972.

(b) The department determines that there is risk of harm, child abuse, or child neglect to the child and either of the following is true:

(i) The parent's rights to another child were terminated as a result of proceedings under section 2(b) of chapter XIIA of the probate code of 1939, 1939 PA 288, MCL 712A.2, or a similar law of another state and the parent has failed to rectify the conditions that led to the prior termination of parental rights.

(ii) The parent's rights to another child were voluntarily terminated following the initiation of proceedings under section 2(b) of chapter XIIA of the probate code of 1939, 1939 PA 288, MCL 712A.2, or a similar law of another state, the parent has failed to rectify the conditions that led to the prior termination of parental rights, and the proceeding involved abuse that included 1 or more of the following:

(A) Abandonment of a young child.

(B) Criminal sexual conduct involving penetration, attempted penetration, or assault with intent to penetrate.

(C) Battering, torture, or other serious physical harm.

(D) Loss or serious impairment of an organ or limb.

(E) Life-threatening injury.

(F) Murder or attempted murder.

(G) Voluntary manslaughter.

(H) Aiding and abetting, attempting to commit, conspiring to commit, or soliciting murder or voluntary manslaughter.

(I) Human trafficking as that term is defined in section 2 of the human trafficking commission act, 2014 PA 325, MCL 752.972.

(2) In a petition submitted as required by subsection (1), if a parent is a suspected perpetrator or is suspected of placing the child at an unreasonable risk of harm due to the parent's failure to take reasonable steps to intervene to eliminate that risk, the department shall include a request for termination of parental rights at the initial dispositional hearing as authorized under section 19b of chapter XIIA of the probate code of 1939, 1939 PA 288, MCL 712A.19b.

(3) If the department is considering petitioning for termination of parental rights at the initial dispositional hearing as authorized under section 19b of chapter XIIA of the probate code of 1939, 1939 PA 288, MCL 712A.19b, even though the facts of the child's case do not require departmental action under subsection (1), the department shall hold a conference among the appropriate agency personnel to agree upon the course of action. The department shall notify the attorney representing the child of the time and place of the conference, and the attorney may attend. If an agreement is not reached at this conference, the department director or the director's designee shall resolve the disagreement after consulting the attorneys representing both the department and the child.