Act No. 473

Public Acts of 2004

Approved by the Governor

December 21, 2004

Filed with the Secretary of State

December 28, 2004

EFFECTIVE DATE: December 28, 2004

STATE OF MICHIGAN

92ND LEGISLATURE

REGULAR SESSION OF 2004

Introduced by Rep. Howell

ENROLLED HOUSE BILL No. 6310

AN ACT to amend 1939 PA 288, entitled "An act to revise and consolidate the statutes relating to certain aspects of the family division of circuit court, to the jurisdiction, powers, and duties of the family division of circuit court and its judges and other officers, to the change of name of adults and children, and to the adoption of adults and children; to prescribe certain jurisdiction, powers, and duties of the family division of circuit court and its judges and other officers; to prescribe the manner and time within which certain actions and proceedings may be brought in the family division of the circuit court; to prescribe pleading, evidence, practice, and procedure in certain actions and proceedings in the family division of circuit court; to provide for appeals from certain actions in the family division of circuit court; to prescribe the powers and duties of certain state departments, agencies, and officers; to provide for certain immunity from liability; and to provide remedies and penalties," by amending section 19a of chapter XIIA (MCL 712A.19a), as amended by 2000 PA 46.

The People of the State of Michigan enact:

CHAPTER XIIA

Sec. 19a. (1) Subject to subsection (2), if a child remains in foster care and parental rights to the child have not been terminated, the court shall conduct a permanency planning hearing within 12 months after the child was removed from his or her home. Subsequent permanency planning hearings shall be held no later than every 12 months after each preceding permanency planning hearing during the continuation of foster care. If proper notice for a permanency planning hearing is provided, a permanency planning hearing may be combined with a review hearing held under section 19(2) to (4) of this chapter, but no later than 12 months from the removal of the child from his or her home, from the preceding permanency planning hearing, or from the number of days required under subsection (2). A permanency planning hearing shall not be canceled or delayed beyond the number of months required by this subsection or days as required under subsection (2), regardless of whether there is a petition for termination of parental rights pending.

(2) The court shall conduct a permanency planning hearing within 30 days after there is a judicial determination that reasonable efforts to reunite the child and family are not required. Reasonable efforts to reunify the child and family must be made in all cases except if any of the following apply:

(a) There is a judicial determination that the parent has subjected the child to aggravated circumstances as provided in section 18(1) and (2) of the child protection law, 1975 PA 238, MCL 722.638.

(b) The parent has been convicted of 1 or more of the following:

(i) Murder of another child of the parent.

(ii) Voluntary manslaughter of another child of the parent.

(iii) Aiding or abetting in the murder of another child of the parent or voluntary manslaughter of another child of the parent, the attempted murder of the child or another child of the parent, or the conspiracy or solicitation to commit the murder of the child or another child of the parent.

(iv) A felony assault that results in serious bodily injury to the child or another child of the parent.

(c) The parent has had rights to the child's siblings involuntarily terminated.

(3) A permanency planning hearing shall be conducted to review the status of the child and the progress being made toward the child's return home or to show why the child should not be placed in the permanent custody of the court.

(4) Not less than 14 days before a permanency planning hearing, written notice of the hearing and a statement of the purposes of the hearing, including a notice that the hearing may result in further proceedings to terminate parental rights, shall be served upon all of the following:

(a) The agency. The agency shall advise the child of the hearing if the child is 11 years of age or older.

(b) The foster parent or custodian of the child.

(c) If the parental rights to the child have not been terminated, the child's parents.

(d) If the child has a guardian, the guardian for the child.

(e) If the child has a guardian ad litem, the guardian ad litem for the child.

(f) If tribal affiliation has been determined, the elected leader of the Indian tribe.

(g) The attorney for the child, the attorneys for each party, and the prosecuting attorney if the prosecuting attorney has appeared in the case.

(h) If the child is 11 years of age or older, the child.

(i) Other persons as the court may direct.

(5) If parental rights to the child have not been terminated and the court determines at a permanency planning hearing that the return of the child to his or her parent would not cause a substantial risk of harm to the child's life, physical health, or mental well-being, the court shall order the child returned to his or her parent. In determining whether the return of the child would cause a substantial risk of harm to the child, the court shall view the failure of the parent to substantially comply with the terms and conditions of the case service plan prepared under section 18f of this chapter as evidence that return of the child to his or her parent would cause a substantial risk of harm to the child's life, physical health, or mental well-being. In addition to considering conduct of the parent as evidence of substantial risk of harm, the court shall consider any condition or circumstance of the child that may be evidence that a return to the parent would cause a substantial risk of harm to the child's life, physical health, or mental well-being.

(6) If the court determines at a permanency planning hearing that the child should not be returned to his or her parent, the court shall order the agency to initiate proceedings to terminate parental rights to the child not later than 42 days after the permanency planning hearing, unless the court finds that initiating the termination of parental rights to the child is clearly not in the child's best interests.

(7) If the agency demonstrates under subsection (6) that initiating the termination of parental rights to the child is clearly not in the child's best interests, then the court shall order either of the following alternative placement plans:

(a) If the court determines that other permanent placement is not possible, the child's placement in foster care shall continue for a limited period to be stated by the court.

(b) If the court determines that it is in the child's best interests based upon compelling reasons, the child's placement in foster care may continue on a long-term basis.

(8) In making the determinations under this section, the court shall consider any written or oral information concerning the child from the child's parent, guardian, custodian, foster parent, child caring institution, relative with whom the child is placed, or guardian ad litem in addition to any other evidence, including the appropriateness of parenting time, offered at the hearing.

This act is ordered to take immediate effect.

Clerk of the House of Representatives

Secretary of the Senate

Approved

Governor