As used in this act:

    (a) "McGruff house" or "Michigan community child watch house" means a house, designated by a sign bearing the standard McGruff house symbol or standard Michigan community child watch symbol, as applicable, occupied by a responsible adult, where a child may seek help when he or she faces an emergency such as being bullied, followed, threatened, or hurt while walking or playing in the neighborhood.

    (b) "Program", except as used in subdivision (c), means the McGruff house program or Michigan community child watch program.

    (c) "Standard McGruff house symbol" or "standard Michigan community child watch symbol" means the standard symbol to designate a McGruff house or Michigan community child watch house, adopted pursuant to section 2(1)(b), except that until May 27, 1991, the standard McGruff house symbol or standard Michigan community child watch symbol may include a symbol that before and on May 26, 1989 was used by a neighborhood safe house program to designate a neighborhood safe house similar to a McGruff house or Michigan community child watch house within that program.

    (1) The department of state police, in cooperation with the Michigan sheriffs' association, the Michigan association of chiefs of police, the crime prevention association of Michigan, and the child watch association shall do all of the following:

    (a) Develop guidelines for the establishment and operation of McGruff house and Michigan community child watch programs.

    (b) Adopt standard symbols and signs for the McGruff house programs and Michigan community child watch programs as statewide symbols for the programs. The local sponsor may choose either program. The signs for both programs shall be numbered and made available at cost to local law enforcement agencies sponsoring or cooperating with a sponsor of the selected program.

    (c) Develop or adopt a model application form for designation of a home as a McGruff house or Michigan community child watch house.

    (d) Make information available to nonprofit organizations, school districts, business entities, and local law enforcement agencies concerning the program.

    (e) Publicize the program in as many ways as is reasonably practical.

    (f) Cooperate with local law enforcement agencies in conducting background checks on persons who apply to have their homes designated as McGruff houses or Michigan community child watch houses.

    (2) The department of state police may promulgate rules pursuant to the administrative procedures act of 1969, Act No. 306 of the Public Acts of 1969, being sections 24.201 to 24.328 of the Michigan Compiled Laws, to implement this act.

    (1) A local law enforcement agency, or a school district, nonprofit organization, or business entity in cooperation with a local law enforcement agency, may sponsor a program.

    (2) A program sponsor shall supply a numbered sign bearing the standard McGruff house symbol or standard Michigan community child watch symbol to a person in the community who applies for designation of his or her home as a McGruff house or Michigan community child watch house, if the person agrees in writing to follow the terms of the program and if the person and any other adult residing in the person's home passes a background check conducted by a local law enforcement agency.

    (3) A program sponsor shall keep a register of the McGruff houses and Michigan community child watch houses within the program.

    (4) A local law enforcement agency that sponsors a program or agrees to cooperate with a nonprofit organization, school district, or business entity that sponsors a program shall conduct a background check, including a criminal history check, on each person who applies to have his or her home designated as a McGruff house or Michigan community child watch house and on each adult residing in the person's home.

    (1) A person shall not display a sign bearing the standard McGruff house symbol or standard Michigan community child watch symbol so that the sign is visible from the outside of the person's house unless the person's home has been approved as a McGruff house or Michigan community child watch house by a program sponsor.

    (2) The McGruff house and Michigan community child watch house signs are the property of the local law enforcement agency that sponsors or cooperates with the sponsor of the program that issued the sign. If the sponsor determines that a person's home no longer qualifies as a McGruff house and Michigan community child watch house, the person shall return the sign to the local law enforcement agency.

    (3) A person who violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor.