Michigan House Bill HB4664

Michigan 2023-2024 Regular Session

• Introduced: 5/25/23
• Refer: 5/25/23

Caption

Children: protection; certain child death review records; allow disclosure to parents under certain conditions. Amends sec. 7b of 1975 PA 238 (MCL 722.627b).

Impact

The proposed changes in HB 4664 will create a standardized approach for responding to child fatalities across different counties in Michigan. This uniformity may improve how child deaths are analyzed and understood, allowing for early detection of patterns in child abuse or neglect. Moreover, the bill mandates the establishment of a multiagency advisory committee that will oversee and guide statewide prevention, education, and training efforts regarding child fatalities. This is expected to foster better interagency communication and a more comprehensive approach to child welfare.

Summary

House Bill 4664 aims to amend the existing 'Child Protection Law' in Michigan, specifically targeting the establishment and functioning of child fatality review teams within counties. The bill allows each county to form these teams to review each child fatality occurring within their jurisdiction. Additionally, it enables multiple counties to appoint a single review team for better cohesion in addressing child fatality cases. The core objective is to ensure systematic reviews of such fatalities to enhance child safety and protection processes in Michigan.

Contention

While the bill seeks to improve child protection mechanisms, there may be concerns regarding the confidentiality of the information reviewed by child fatality teams. The bill maintains strict confidentiality guidelines, excluding information from public access, which could limit transparency about how child fatalities are handled and prevent necessary public discourse on child welfare issues. Furthermore, the restrictions on information sharing could be contentious, particularly in cases of parental inquiries about their child's death under certain criminal circumstances, raising questions about balancing confidentiality with parental rights.