TRAINING FOR FIA FIELD INVESTIGATORS
House Bill 4099
Sponsor: Rep. Alan Sanborn
Committee: Family and Children Services
Complete to 3-12-01
A SUMMARY OF HOUSE BILL 4099 AS INTRODUCED 1-31-01
House Bill 4099 would add a new section to the Social Welfare Act (MCL 400.115q) to require that the Family Independence Agency (FIA) provide a training program in self defense for each department employee who was required to perform a field investigation or home visit. The bill is tie-barred to Senate Bills 72 and 73, which would amend the Penal Code and the Code of Criminal Procedure, respectively, to provide criminal penalties for threatening or harming a FIA employee while the person was performing his or her duties, or because of the person's status as an FIA employee.
Training Program. The training program would have to include both of the following:
·Mandatory training on defusing threatening behavior.
·Mandatory training on how to perform a safe investigation or home visit and recognize a potentially dangerous situation.
Further, if one of these employees documented a risk that led to a reasonable apprehension regarding the safety of performing a field investigation or home visit, that employee would have to complete the field investigation or home visit with another department employee who had been trained, as required under the bill, or with a law enforcement officer.
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This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan House staff for use by House members in their deliberations, and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.