SB-0702, As Passed Senate, December 11, 2003

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SENATE BILL No. 702

 

 

September 17, 2003, Introduced by Senator HAMMERSTROM and referred to the Committee on Families and Human Services.

 

 

        

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                 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).                   


    Senate Bill No. 702 as amended December 9, 2003                             

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               


    Senate Bill No. 702 as amended December 9, 2003                             

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 the         

                                                                                

5   child in Michigan until a change of residence within the state of           

                                                                                

6   Michigan is approved by the court after formal placement occurs.            

                                                                                

7                                                                               

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

9   approval in compliance with the interstate compact on the placement of      

      children, 1984 PA 114, MCL 3.711 to 3.717, before the child is sent, brought, or caused to be sent or brought into a receiving state as that term is defined in section 1 of the interstate compact on the placement of children, 1984 PA 114, MCL 3.711.

    (iv) That the prospective adoptive parent submits to this state's jurisdiction.>>                                                                 

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

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

13  placing agency who assists with the temporary placement or the              

                                                                                

14  child placing agency that makes the temporary placement shall               

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

20  child placing agency who made the temporary placement.                      

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

22  with whom the temporary placement was made.                                 

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

26  putative father, if known.                                                  

                                                                                

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


                                                                                

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

                                                                                

2   of this chapter.                                                            

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

5   child placing agency who assists with the temporary placement or            

                                                                                

6   the child placing agency that makes the temporary placement shall           

                                                                                

7   submit to the court that received the report described in                   

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

9   following dispositions has occurred:                                        

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

12  or other person having legal custody.                                       

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

16  determine whether an adoption petition has been filed or the                

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

19  court's investigation reveals that neither disposition has                  

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

25  the prosecutor is not required to file a petition.                          

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

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


                                                                                

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

                                                                                

2   requesting that the temporary placement be revoked and that the             

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

5   who assisted in making the temporary placement shall assist the             

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

11  the child.                                                                  

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

13  been temporarily placed is either unwilling or unable to proceed            

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

15  petition in the court that received the report described in                 

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

17  required by section 23e of this chapter.                                    

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

19  is unable to proceed with an adoption because of the                        

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

23  with whom the child has been temporarily placed and the                     

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

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


                                                                                

1   required by section 23e of this chapter.                                    

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

3   prospective adoptive parent with whom a child is temporarily                

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

7   child to an individual or agency not otherwise legally entitled             

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

9   requirements of subsection (1) are met.