HOUSE BILL No. 6086


     September 16, 1998, Introduced by Rep. LaForge and referred to the Committee on Human Services and Children.


        A bill to amend 1975 PA 238, entitled

   "Child protection law,"

   by amending section 10 (MCL 722.630).

               THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 1         Sec. 10.  (1)  The court, in every  IN EACH case filed under

 2    this act in which judicial proceedings are necessary, THE COURT

 3    IN WHICH THE CASE IS FILED shall appoint legal counsel to repre-

 4    sent the child.  The legal counsel, in general,  shall be  IS

 5    charged with the representation of the child's best interests.

 6     To that end  IN REPRESENTING THE CHILD'S BEST INTERESTS, the

 7    attorney shall  make further investigation  INVESTIGATE FURTHER

 8    as he  deems  OR SHE CONSIDERS necessary to ascertain the facts,

 9    AND SHALL interview witnesses, examine witnesses in both the

10    adjudicatory and dispositional hearings, make recommendations to




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 1    the court, and participate in the proceedings to competently

 2    represent the child.

 3         (2) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL DEVELOP AND DISTRIBUTE MODEL POLI-

 4    CIES REGARDING THE ROLES OF ATTORNEYS AND GUARDIANS AD LITEM IN

 5    REPRESENTING CHILDREN IN CASES FILED UNDER THIS ACT, UNDER CHAP-

 6    TER XIIA OF 1939 PA 288, MCL 712A.1 TO 712A.32, AND UNDER SECTION

 7    427 OF THE REVISED PROBATE CODE, 1978 PA 642, MCL 700.427.  THE

 8    DEPARTMENT SHALL USE AS A MODEL FOR THE POLICIES DEVELOPED UNDER

 9    THIS SUBSECTION THE STATE BAR OF MICHIGAN'S PUBLICATION ENTITLED

10    "GUIDELINES FOR ADVOCATES FOR CHILDREN IN MICHIGAN COURTS".




































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