DOM. VIOLENCE DEATH REVIEW TEAM - S.B. 719: COMMITTEE SUMMARY
Senate Bill 719 (as introduced 10-17-01)
Sponsor: Senator Thaddeus G. McCotter
Committee: Families, Mental Health and Human Services
Date Completed: 10-31-01
CONTENT
The bill would amend the domestic violence prevention and treatment Act to allow a county to establish an interagency domestic violence death review team, which could review any death resulting from domestic violence.
A domestic violence death review team could include, but would not be limited to, any of the following:
-- An individual trained in forensic pathology.
-- A health care professional with training and experience in domestic violence abuse.
-- An individual trained or educated and experienced in criminology.
-- A prosecuting attorney.
-- A representative of a domestic violence shelter that received funding from the domestic violence prevention and treatment board.
-- A representative from a battered woman's advocacy organization.
-- A law enforcement officer.
A domestic violence death review team could receive any report, item, statement, or other information, from any source, concerning a domestic violence death that occurred within the county. Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, a governmental agency would have to release to the team a report or other information related to or concerning a domestic violence death.
A team would have to prepare a report on each domestic violence death reviewed. The report would be confidential and would not be subject to the Freedom of Information Act. The review team would have to forward a copy of each report to the domestic violence prevention and treatment board.
Proposed MCL 400.1511 - Legislative Analyst: P. Affholter
FISCAL IMPACT
The bill would have no fiscal impact on the State.
The bill would have an indeterminate fiscal impact on local government. Costs could vary from county to county based on the number and scope of deaths reviewed. Given that the language related to the establishment of these review teams would be permissive, a county could avoid any related costs if it chose not to establish a team.
- Fiscal Analyst: J. WalkerS0102\s719sa
This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.