SB-0702, As Passed House, March 24, 2004

HOUSE SUBSTITUTE FOR

SENATE BILL NO. 702

                                                                             A bill to amend 1939 PA 288, entitled                                             

"Probate code of 1939,"                                                     

by amending section 23d of chapter X (MCL 710.23d), as amended by           

1996 PA 409.                                                                

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

1                               CHAPTER X                                       

2       Sec. 23d.  (1) In a direct placement, a parent or guardian                  

3   with legal and physical custody of a child may make a temporary             

4   placement of the child as prescribed by this section.  In an                

5   agency placement, a child placing agency with written                       

6   authorization from the parent or guardian  pursuant to as                  

7   prescribed by section 23b of this chapter may make a temporary              

8   placement of the child as prescribed by this section.  A                    

9   temporary placement shall meet all of the following                         

10  requirements:                                                               

1       (a) The prospective adoptive parent with whom a child is                    

2   temporarily placed  is a Michigan resident has had a                       

3   preplacement assessment completed within 1 year before the date             

4   of the transfer with a finding that the prospective adoptive                

5   parent is suitable to be a parent of an adoptee.                            

6       (b) In a direct placement, the parent or guardian is                        

7   assisted by an adoption attorney or a child placing agency.                 

8       (c) In the presence of a witness who also signs the                         

9   document, the parent, guardian, or representative of the child              

10  placing agency signs a statement evidencing the transfer of                 

11  physical custody of the child.  If the parent making the                    

12  temporary placement is an unemancipated minor, the statement is             

13  not valid unless it is also signed in the presence of the witness           

14  by a parent or guardian of that minor parent.  The statement                

15  shall contain all of the following:                                         

16                                                                               (i) The date of the transfer of physical custody.                                   

17      (ii) Language providing that the transfer is for the purpose                 

18  of adoption by the prospective adoptive parent.  who is a                   

19  Michigan resident.

20      (iii) Language indicating that unless the parent or guardian                 

21  and the prospective adoptive parent agree otherwise, the                    

22  prospective adoptive parent has the authority to consent to all             

23  medical, surgical, psychological, educational, and related                  

24  services for the child and language indicating that the parent or           

25  guardian otherwise retains full parental rights to the child                

26  being temporarily placed and that the temporary placement may be            

27  revoked by the filing of a petition under subsection (5).                   

1       (iv) Language providing that the person making the transfer                  

2   has read a preplacement assessment of the prospective adoptive              

3   parent completed or updated within 1 year before the date of the            

4   transfer with a finding that the prospective adoptive parent is             

5   suitable to be a parent of an adoptee.  If a child placing agency           

6   makes the transfer of physical custody, the statement shall                 

7   include a verification that the child placing agency has given              

8   the parent or guardian who authorized the temporary placement an            

9   opportunity to review the preplacement assessment.                          

10      (v) Even if only 1 parent is making the temporary placement,                

11  the name and address of both parents of the child, including in             

12  the case of a child born out of wedlock, the name and the address           

13  of each putative father of the child, if known.                             

14      (d) In the presence of a witness who also signs the                         

15  document, the prospective adoptive parent signs a statement                 

16  setting forth the date of the transfer of physical custody and              

17  the name and address of the prospective adoptive parent and                 

18  attesting to  both all of the following:                                   

19                                                                               (i) That the prospective adoptive parent understands that                           

20  the temporary placement will not become a formal placement until            

21  the parents consent or release their parental rights and the                

22  court orders the termination of parental rights and approves the            

23  placement and that the prospective adoptive parent must                     

24  relinquish custody of the child within 24 hours after being                 

25  served with an order  pursuant to under section 23e(2) of this             

26  chapter.                                                                    

27  (ii) That the prospective adoptive parent agrees to reside                   

1   with the child in Michigan until a change of residence is                   

2   approved by the court after formal placement occurs.

3   (ii) That, if the prospective adoptive parent is a Michigan                  

4   resident, the prospective adoptive parent agrees to reside with             

5   the child in Michigan until formal placement occurs.                        

6       (iii) That the prospective adoptive parent agrees to obtain                  

7   approval in compliance with the interstate compact on the                   

8   placement of children, 1984 PA 114, MCL 3.711 to 3.717, before              

9   the child is sent, brought, or caused to be sent or brought into            

10  a receiving state as that term is defined in section 1 of the               

11  interstate compact on the placement of children, 1984 PA 114, MCL           

12  3.711.                                                                      

13      (iv) That the prospective adoptive parent submits to this                    

14  state's jurisdiction.

15      (2) Not later than 2 days, excluding weekends and holidays,                 

16  after a transfer of physical custody of a child  pursuant to in            

17  accordance with subsection (1), the adoption attorney or child              

18  placing agency who assists with the temporary placement or the              

19  child placing agency that makes the temporary placement shall               

20  submit to the court in the county in which the child's parent or            

21  guardian or the prospective adoptive parent resides, or in which            

22  the child is found, a report that contains all of the following:            

23      (a) The date of the transfer of physical custody.                           

24      (b) The name and address of the parent or guardian or the                   

25  child placing agency who made the temporary placement.                      

26      (c) The name and address of the prospective adoptive parent                 

27  with whom the temporary placement was made.                                 

1       (d) Even if only 1 parent is making the temporary placement,                

2   the name and address of both parents of the child, including, in            

3   the case of a child born out of wedlock, the name of each                   

4   putative father, if known.                                                  

5       (e) The documents required under subsection (1)(c) and (d)                  

6   and, if applicable, the authorization required under section 23b            

7   of this chapter.                                                            

8       (3) Not later than 30 days after the transfer of physical                   

9   custody of a child under this section, the adoption attorney or             

10  child placing agency who assists with the temporary placement or            

11  the child placing agency that makes the temporary placement shall           

12  submit to the court that received the report described in                   

13  subsection (2) a report indicating whether or not 1 of the                  

14  following dispositions has occurred:                                        

15      (a) A petition for adoption of the child has been filed.                    

16      (b) The child has been returned to the agency or to a parent                

17  or other person having legal custody.                                       

18      (4) If the court has not received the report required under                 

19  subsection (3) within 45 days after the transfer of physical                

20  custody of a child, the court shall immediately investigate and             

21  determine whether an adoption petition has been filed or the                

22  child has been returned to a parent or other person having legal            

23  custody.  If the report required under subsection (3) or the                

24  court's investigation reveals that neither disposition has                  

25  occurred, the court shall immediately report to the prosecutor,             

26  who shall immediately file a petition in the court that received            

27  the report described in subsection (2) for disposition of the               

1   child  pursuant to as required by section 23e of this chapter.             

2   If a petition has been filed under subsection (5), (6), or (7),             

3   the prosecutor is not required to file a petition.                          

4       (5) A parent or guardian who wishes to regain custody of a                  

5   child who has been placed temporarily shall file a petition in              

6   the court that received the report described in subsection (2)              

7   requesting that the temporary placement be revoked and that the             

8   child be returned to the parent or guardian.  Upon request of the           

9   parent or guardian, the adoption attorney or child placing agency           

10  who assisted in making the temporary placement shall assist the             

11  parent or guardian in filing the petition to revoke the temporary           

12  placement.  If the temporary placement was made by a child                  

13  placing agency  pursuant to under section 23b(3) of this                   

14  chapter, the child placing agency shall file the petition on                

15  behalf of a parent or guardian who wishes to regain custody of              

16  the child.                                                                  

17      (6) If a prospective adoptive parent with whom a child has                  

18  been temporarily placed is either unwilling or unable to proceed            

19  with the adoption, the prospective adoptive parent may file a               

20  petition in the court that received the report described in                 

21  subsection (2) for disposition of the child  pursuant to as                

22  required by section 23e of this chapter.                                    

23      (7) If a child placing agency that temporarily placed a child               

24  is unable to proceed with an adoption because of the                        

25  unavailability of a parent or guardian to execute a release, or             

26  if a child placing agency with legal custody of a child decides             

27  not to proceed with the adoption by a prospective adoptive parent           

1   with whom the child has been temporarily placed and the                     

2   prospective adoptive parent refuses upon the agency's request to            

3   return the child to the agency, the child placing agency shall              

4   file a petition in the court that received the report described             

5   in subsection (2) for disposition of the child  pursuant to as             

6   required by section 23e of this chapter.                                    

7       (8) Except as otherwise agreed to by the parties, the                       

8   prospective adoptive parent with whom a child is temporarily                

9   placed under this section may consent to all medical, surgical,             

10  psychological, educational, and related services for the child.             

11      (9) A hospital or attending practitioner shall not release a                

12  child to an individual or agency not otherwise legally entitled             

13  to the physical custody of the child unless all of the                      

14  requirements of subsection (1) are met.