SENATE BILL NO. 1123 May 7, 1998, Introduced by Senator STILLE and referred to the Committee on Families, Mental Health and Human Services. A bill to create a missing children task force in the department of state police and prescribe its powers and duties; to make an appropriation; and to repeal acts and parts of acts. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT: 1 Sec. 1. (1) This act shall be known and may be cited as the 2 "missing children task force act". 3 (2) As used in this act, "task force" means the missing 4 children task force created in this section. 5 Sec. 2. (1) The missing children task force is created 6 within the department of state police. 7 (2) The task force shall consist of the following members: 8 (a) The director of the department of state police or his or 9 her designee. 10 (b) The director of the family independence agency or his or 11 her designee. 06113'98 ** JJG 2 1 (c) The director of the department of community health or 2 his or her designee. 3 (d) A member of the prosecuting attorneys association of 4 Michigan appointed by its executive director. 5 (e) The Michigan children's ombudsman or his or her 6 designee. 7 (f) Three members from the general public, appointed by the 8 governor, 1 member having training in child psychology. 9 (g) One member of the senate appointed by the majority 10 leader of the senate. 11 (h) One member of the house of representatives appointed by 12 the speaker of the house of representatives. 13 (3) The members of the task force shall be appointed within 14 30 days after the effective date of this act. 15 (4) Members of the task force shall serve for the duration 16 of the task force. 17 (5) If a vacancy occurs on the task force, the officer 18 making the original appointment shall make an appointment for the 19 unexpired term in the same manner as the original appointment. 20 (6) The officer appointing a member of the task force under 21 subsection (2)(f), (g), or (h) may remove that member of the task 22 force for incompetency, dereliction of duty, malfeasance, mis- 23 feasance, or nonfeasance in office, or any other good cause. 24 (7) The first meeting of the task force shall be called by 25 the director of the department of state police at which a chair- 26 person shall be elected by a majority vote of the members 27 attending. 06113'98 ** 3 1 (8) A majority of the members of the task force constitute a 2 quorum for the transaction of business at a meeting of the task 3 force. A majority of the members present and serving are 4 required for official action of the task force. 5 (9) The business that the task force may perform shall be 6 conducted at a public meeting of the task force held in compli- 7 ance with the open meetings act, 1976 PA 267, MCL 15.261 to 8 15.275. 9 (10) A writing prepared, owned, used, in the possession of, 10 or retained by the task force in the performance of an official 11 function is subject to the freedom of information act, 1976 PA 12 442, MCL 15.231 to 15.246. 13 (11) Members of the task force shall serve without 14 compensation. However, members of the task force appointed under 15 subsection (2)(f), (g), or (h) may be reimbursed for their actual 16 and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their offi- 17 cial duties as members of the task force. The money to pay 18 expenses authorized by this section is appropriated in the dis- 19 cretionary fund in the department of state police. 20 (12) The task force shall do all of the following: 21 (a) Identify the primary causes of missing children. 22 (b) Determine the prevalence of voluntary disappearance, 23 spousal abduction, and kidnapping of children. 24 (c) Explore and recommend a strategy to address the determi- 25 nations made under subdivision (b). 26 (d) Recommend legislation to accomplish all of the 27 following: 06113'98 ** 4 1 (i) Create a central clearinghouse to track missing 2 children. 3 (ii) Ensure timely entry of missing children information 4 into the law enforcement information network governed under the 5 LEIN policy council act of 1974, 1974 PA 163, MCL 28.211 to 6 28.216. 7 (iii) Improve procedures or programs to reduce the number of 8 incidents of missing children. 9 Sec. 3. The task force shall submit a final report to the 10 senate standing committee on families, mental health, and human 11 services and the house standing committee on human services and 12 children before December 31, 1999. 13 Sec. 4. This act is repealed on December 31, 1999. 06113'98 ** Final page. JJG