Act No. 281

Public Acts of 2004

Approved by the Governor

July 22, 2004

Filed with the Secretary of State

July 23, 2004

EFFECTIVE DATE: July 23, 2004

STATE OF MICHIGAN

92ND LEGISLATURE

REGULAR SESSION OF 2004

Introduced by Senator Hammerstrom

ENROLLED SENATE BILL No. 1215

AN ACT to amend 1979 PA 218, entitled "An act to provide for the licensing and regulation of adult foster care facilities; to provide for the establishment of standards of care for adult foster care facilities; to prescribe powers and duties of the department of social services and other departments; to prescribe certain fees; to prescribe penalties; and to repeal certain acts and parts of acts," by amending section 13 (MCL 400.713), as amended by 2004 PA 59.

The People of the State of Michigan enact:

Sec. 13. (1) A person, partnership, corporation, association, or a department or agency of the state, county, city, or other political subdivision shall not establish or maintain an adult foster care facility unless licensed by the department.

(2) Application for a license shall be made on forms provided and in the manner prescribed by the department. The application shall be accompanied by the fee prescribed in section 13a.

(3) Before issuing or renewing a license, the department shall investigate the activities and standards of care of the applicant and shall make an on-site evaluation of the facility. On-site inspections conducted in response to the application may be conducted without prior notice to the applicant. Subject to subsections (9), (10), and (11), the department shall issue or renew a license if satisfied as to all of the following:

(a) The financial stability of the facility.

(b) The applicant's compliance with this act and rules promulgated under this act.

(c) The good moral character of the applicant, or owners, partners, or directors of the facility, if other than an individual. Each of these persons shall be not less than 18 years of age.

(d) The physical and emotional ability of the applicant, and the person responsible for the daily operation of the facility to operate an adult foster care facility.

(e) The good moral character of the person responsible for the daily operations of the facility and all employees of the facility. The applicant shall be responsible for assessing the good moral character of the employees of the facility. The person responsible for the daily operation of the facility shall be not less than 18 years of age.

(4) The department shall require an applicant or a licensee to disclose the names, addresses, and official positions of all persons who have an ownership interest in the adult foster care facility. If the adult foster care facility is located on or in real estate that is leased, the applicant or licensee shall disclose the name of the lessor of the real estate and any direct or indirect interest that the applicant or licensee has in the lease other than as lessee.

(5) Each license shall state the maximum number of persons to be received for foster care at 1 time.

(6) If applicable, a license shall state the type of specialized program for which certification has been received from the department.

(7) A license shall be issued to a specific person for a facility at a specific location, is nontransferable, and remains the property of the department. The prohibition against transfer of a license to another location does not apply if a licensee's adult foster care facility or home is closed as a result of eminent domain proceedings, if the facility or home, as relocated, otherwise meets the requirements of this act and the rules promulgated under this act.

(8) An applicant or licensee proposing a sale of an adult foster care facility or home to another owner shall provide the department with advance notice of the proposed sale in writing. The applicant or licensee and other parties to the sale shall arrange to meet with specified department representatives and shall obtain before the sale a determination of the items of noncompliance with applicable law and rules that shall be corrected. The department shall notify the respective parties of the items of noncompliance before the change of ownership, shall indicate that the items of noncompliance shall be corrected as a condition of issuance of a license to the new owner, and shall notify the prospective purchaser of all licensure requirements.

(9) The department shall not issue a license to or renew the license of a person who has been convicted of a felony under this act or under chapter XXA of the Michigan penal code, 1931 PA 328, MCL 750.145m to 750.145r. The department shall not issue a license to or renew the license of a person who has been convicted of a misdemeanor under this act or under chapter XXA of the Michigan penal code, 1931 PA 328, MCL 750.145m to 750.145r, for a period of 10years after the conviction.

(10) If the department has revoked, suspended, or refused to renew a person's license for an adult foster care facility according to section 22, the department may refuse to issue a license to or renew a license of that person for a period of 5 years after the suspension, revocation, or nonrenewal of the license.

(11) The department may refuse to issue a license to or renew the license of an applicant if the department determines that the applicant has a relationship with a former licensee whose license under this act has been suspended, revoked, or nonrenewed under subsection (9) or section 22 or a convicted person to whom a license has been denied under subsection (9). This subsection applies for 5 years after the suspension, revocation, or nonrenewal of the former licensee's license or the denial of the convicted person's license. For purposes of this subsection, an applicant has a relationship with a former licensee or convicted person if the former licensee or convicted person is involved with the facility in 1 or more of the following ways:

(a) Participates in the administration or operation of the facility.

(b) Has a financial interest in the operation of the facility.

(c) Provides care to residents of the facility.

(d) Has contact with residents or staff on the premises of the facility.

(e) Is employed by the facility.

(f) Resides in the facility.

(12) If the department determines that an unlicensed facility is an adult foster care facility, the department shall notify the owner or operator of the facility that it is required to be licensed under this act. A person receiving the notification required under this section who does not apply for a license within 30 days is subject to the penalties described in subsection (13).

(13) Subject to subsection (12), a person who violates subsection (1) is guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by imprisonment for not more than 2 years or a fine of not more than $50,000.00, or both. A person who has been convicted of a violation of subsection (1) who commits a second or subsequent violation is guilty of a felony, punishable by imprisonment for not more than 5 years or a fine of not more than $75,000.00, or both.

(14) Beginning the effective date of the amendatory act that added this subsection, the department shall issue an initial or renewal license not later than 6 months after the applicant files a completed application. Receipt of the application is considered the date the application is received by any agency or department of this state. If the application is considered incomplete by the department, the department shall notify the applicant in writing or make notice electronically available within 30 days after receipt of the incomplete application, describing the deficiency and requesting additional information. If the department identifies a deficiency or requires the fulfillment of a corrective action plan, the 6-month period is tolled until either of the following occurs:

(a) Upon notification by the department of a deficiency, until the date the requested information is received by the department.

(b) Upon notification by the department that a corrective action plan is required, until the date the department determines the requirements of the corrective action plan have been met.

(15) The determination of the completeness of an application does not operate as an approval of the application for the license and does not confer eligibility of an applicant determined otherwise ineligible for issuance of a license.

(16) If the department fails to issue or deny a license within the time required by this section, the department shall return the license fee and shall reduce the license fee for the applicant's next renewal application, if any, by 15%. Failure to issue or deny a license within the time period required under this section does not allow the department to otherwise delay processing an application. The completed application shall be placed in sequence with other completed applications received at that same time. The department shall not discriminate against an applicant in the processing of an application based on the fact that the application fee was refunded or discounted under this subsection.

(17) If, on a continual basis, inspections performed by a local health department delay the department in issuing or denying licenses under this act within the 6-month period, the department may use department staff to complete the inspections instead of the local health department causing the delays.

(18) Beginning October 1, 2005, the director of the department shall submit a report by December 1 of each year to the standing committees and appropriations subcommittees of the senate and house of representatives concerned with human services issues. The director shall include all of the following information in the report concerning the preceding fiscal year:

(a) The number of initial and renewal applications the department received and completed within the 6-month time period described in subsection (14).

(b) The number of applications requiring a request for additional information.

(c) The number of applications rejected.

(d) The number of licenses not issued within the 6-month period.

(e) The average processing time for initial and renewal licenses granted after the 6-month period.

(19) As used in this section, "completed application" means an application complete on its face and submitted with any applicable licensing fees as well as any other information, records, approval, security, or similar item required by law or rule from a local unit of government, a federal agency, or a private entity but not from another department or agency of this state. Beginning October 1, 2005, a completed application does not include a health inspection performed by a local health department.

Enacting section 1. This amendatory act does not take effect unless House Bill No. 5882 of the 92nd Legislature is enacted into law.

This act is ordered to take immediate effect.

Secretary of the Senate

Clerk of the House of Representatives

Approved

Governor