HB-5715, As Passed House, December 2, 2004

SUBSTITUTE FOR

HOUSE BILL NO. 5715

                                                                             A bill to amend 1990 PA 211, entitled                                             

"The parental rights restoration act,"                                      

by amending sections 3 and 4 (MCL 722.903 and 722.904).                     

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

1   Section Sec. 3.  (1) Except as otherwise provided in this                  

2   act, a person shall not perform an abortion on a minor without              

3   first obtaining the written consent of the minor and 1 of the               

4   parents or the legal guardian of the minor.                                 

5       (2) If a parent or the legal guardian is not available or                   

6   refuses to give his or her consent, or if the minor elects not to           

7   seek consent of a parent or the legal guardian, the minor may               

8   petition the  probate family division of circuit court  pursuant           

9   to as provided in section 4 for a waiver of the parental consent           

10  requirement of this section.                                                

11  Section Sec. 4.  (1) The  probate family division of                      

1   circuit court has jurisdiction  of over proceedings related to a           

2   minor's petition for a waiver of parental consent.                          

3       (2) Proceedings held  pursuant to under this act shall be                  

4   completed with confidentiality and sufficient expedition to                 

5   provide an effective opportunity for the minor to provide                   

6   self-consent to an abortion, in accordance with all of the                  

7   following:                                                                  

8       (a) The  probate family division of circuit court shall,                   

9   upon its first contact with a minor seeking a waiver of parental            

10  consent under this act, provide the minor with notice that the              

11  minor may not seek a waiver of parental consent in that court if            

12  the minor has been denied a waiver concerning the same pregnancy            

13  by another family division of circuit court, and of the minor's             

14  right to all of the following:                                              

15                                                                               (i) Confidentiality of the proceedings, including the right                         

16  to use initials in the petition.                                            

17      (ii) Court appointment of an attorney or guardian ad litem.                  

18      (iii) Assistance with preparing and filing the petition.                     

19      (b) A minor may file a petition for waiver of parental                      

20  consent in the  probate family division of circuit court  of in

21  the county in which the minor resides.  For purposes of this act,           

22  the county in which the minor resides means the county in which             

23  the minor's residence is located or the county in which the minor           

24  is found.  A minor shall not file a petition for waiver of                  

25  parental consent in a family division of circuit court if the               

26  minor has previously been denied a waiver of parental consent by            

27  another family division of circuit court concerning the same                

1   pregnancy.

2       (c) Upon request of the minor, the  probate family division                

3   of circuit court shall provide the minor with assistance in                 

4   preparing and filing the petition for waiver of parental                    

5   consent.                                                                    

6       (d) A minor may file a petition for waiver of parental                      

7   consent under this act on her own behalf or through a next                  

8   friend.  The minor may use initials or some other means of                  

9   assuring confidentiality in the petition.                                   

10      (e) Upon request of the minor, the  probate family division                

11  of circuit court shall appoint an attorney or guardian ad litem             

12  within 24 hours to represent the minor in proceedings under this            

13  section.                                                                    

14      (f) A minor is not required to pay a fee for proceedings                    

15  under this section.                                                         

16      (g) A hearing on a petition for waiver of parental consent                  

17  under this act shall be held within 72 hours, excluding Sundays             

18  and holidays, after the petition is filed and shall be closed to            

19  the public.  All records of proceedings related to the petition             

20  for waiver of parental consent under this act are confidential.             

21      (h) The  probate family division of circuit court that hears               

22  the petition for waiver of parental consent shall issue and make            

23  a part of the confidential record its specific findings of fact             

24  and conclusions of law in support of its ruling either on the               

25  record or in a written opinion.                                             

26      (i) A written order granting or denying a petition for waiver               

27  of parental consent filed  pursuant to under this act shall be             

1   issued within 48 hours, excluding Sundays and holidays, after the           

2   hearing on the petition is held.                                            

3   (j) If a petition for waiver of parental consent is denied,                 

4   the family division of circuit court shall inform the minor of              

5   all of the following:                                                       

6                                                                                (i) Her right to appeal the family division of circuit                              

7   court's decision to the court of appeals.                                   

8       (ii) That she may not initiate proceedings concerning the                    

9   same pregnancy in another family division of circuit court.                 

10      (iii) That if there is an unanticipated change in the                        

11  circumstances of her pregnancy or family situation, she may                 

12  return to the family division of circuit court that denied the              

13  waiver to request a rehearing of her petition.

14      (3) The  probate family division of circuit court shall                    

15  grant a waiver of parental consent if it finds either of the                

16  following:                                                                  

17      (a) The minor is sufficiently mature and well-enough informed               

18  to make the decision regarding abortion independently of her                

19  parents or legal guardian.                                                  

20      (b) The waiver would be in the best interests of the minor.                 

21      (4) A minor who is denied a waiver under this section may                   

22  appeal the  probate family division of circuit court's decision            

23  to the court of appeals.  Appeal proceedings shall be expedited             

24  and confidential.  The notice of appeal shall be filed within 24            

25  hours of the issuance of the order denying the petition.  The               

26  appeal shall be perfected within 72 hours, excluding Sundays and            

27  holidays, from the filing of the notice of appeal.  Upon request            

1   by the minor, the court of appeals shall hold oral arguments on             

2   the minor's appeal of the decision of the family division of                

3   circuit court.  The oral arguments shall be held within 72 hours,           

4   excluding Sundays and holidays, after the appeal is perfected and           

5   shall be closed to the public.  Within 48 hours, excluding                  

6   Sundays and holidays, after the appeal is perfected or after oral           

7   arguments, as applicable, the court of appeals shall issue a                

8   written order granting or denying the minor's petition to                   

9   overturn the family division of circuit court's decision.  All              

10  records of proceedings related to the petition and appeal for               

11  waiver of parental consent under this act are confidential.  A              

12  minor who is denied a waiver under this section shall not                   

13  initiate proceedings seeking a waiver of parental consent                   

14  regarding the same pregnancy in another family division of                  

15  circuit court.

16      (5) The confidentiality requirements of this section do not                 

17  prevent the  probate family division of circuit court from                 

18  reporting suspected child abuse under section 4 of the child                

19  protection law,  Act No. 238 of the Public Acts of 1975, being              

20  section 722.624 of the Michigan Compiled Laws 1975 PA 238, MCL             

21  722.624.                                                                    

22      (6) If a minor who is seeking a waiver of parental consent                  

23  reveals to the  probate family division of circuit court that              

24  she is the victim of sexual abuse, and that her pregnancy is, or            

25  may be, the result of sexual abuse, the  probate family division           

26  of circuit court shall immediately do all of the following:                 

27      (a) Report the suspected sexual abuse to the  department of                 

1   social services family independence agency or a law enforcement            

2   agency  pursuant to as provided by the child protection law,               

3   Act No. 238 of the Public Acts of 1975, being sections 722.621             

4   to 722.636 of the Michigan Compiled Laws 1975 PA 238, MCL                  

5   722.621 to 722.638.                                                         

6       (b) Inform the minor that there are laws designed to protect                

7   her, including all of the following provisions of chapter XIIA of           

8   the probate code,  Act No. 288 of the Public Acts of 1939, being            

9   sections 712A.1 to 712A.28 of the Michigan Compiled Laws 1939 PA           

10  288, MCL 712A.1 to 712A.32:                                                 

11                                                                               (i) That a law enforcement officer may without court order                          

12  take the minor into temporary protective custody if, after                  

13  investigation, the officer has reasonable grounds to conclude               

14  that the minor's health, safety, or welfare would be endangered             

15  by leaving her in the custody of her parent or legal guardian.              

16      (ii) That the  juvenile family division of  the probate

17  circuit court may, upon learning of the suspected sexual abuse,             

18  immediately hold a preliminary inquiry to determine whether a               

19  petition for court jurisdiction should be filed or whether other            

20  action should be taken.                                                     

21      (iii) That the  juvenile family division of circuit court                   

22  shall appoint an attorney to represent the minor in protective              

23  proceedings.                                                                

24      (iv) That after a petition has been filed, the  juvenile

25  family division of circuit court may order that the minor be                

26  placed with someone other than her parent or legal guardian                 

27  pending trial or further court order if  such  placement is                 

1   necessary to avoid substantial risk to the minor's life, physical           

2   health, or mental well-being.                                               

3   (7) If a family division of circuit court finds that a minor                

4   has previously been denied a waiver of parental consent by                  

5   another family division of circuit court concerning the same                

6   pregnancy, the family division of circuit court shall determine             

7   that the subsequent pending petition for a waiver of parental               

8   consent is a notice for an appeal pursuant to this act.  If the             

9   family division of circuit court makes the determination that the           

10  notice is timely filed, the family division of circuit court                

11  shall transfer the action, including, but not limited to, the               

12  petition and papers filed in the family division of circuit                 

13  court, to the court of appeals.

14  (8)  (7)  As used in this section, "child abuse" and "sexual                

15  abuse" mean those terms as defined in section 2 of the child                

16  protection law,  Act No. 238 of the Public Acts of 1975, being              

17  section 722.622 of the Michigan Compiled Laws 1975 PA 238, MCL             

18  722.622.