HOUSE BILL No. 6116

 

August 4, 2004, Introduced by Reps. Kolb, Condino, Meisner, Jamnick, Vagnozzi, Accavitti and Farrah and referred to the Committee on Criminal Justice.

        

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                 A bill to amend 1985 PA 87, entitled                                              

                                                                                

    "Crime victim's rights act,"                                                

                                                                                

    by amending the title and sections 23, 50, and 82 (MCL 780.773,             

                                                                                

    780.800, and 780.832), the title as amended and section 50 as               

                                                                                

    added by 1988 PA 22 and section 23 as amended and section 82 as             

                                                                                

    added by 1988 PA 21, and by adding sections 12a, 40a, and 72a.              

                                                                                

                THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:                      

                                                                                

1                                 TITLE                                         

                                                                                

2                                                                                An act to establish the rights of victims of crime and                             

                                                                                

3   juvenile offenses; to provide for certain procedures; to                    

                                                                                

4   establish certain immunities and duties; to limit convicted                 

                                                                                

5   criminals from deriving profit under certain circumstances; to              

                                                                                

6   prohibit certain conduct of employers or employers' agents toward           

                                                                                

7   victims; to require employers to provide unpaid leave to victims            

                                                                                

8   to attend court proceedings; and to provide for penalties and               

                                                                                


                                                                                

1   remedies.                                                                   

                                                                                

2       Sec. 12a.  (1) An employee who is a victim is entitled to a                 

                                                                                

3   total of not more than 12 workweeks of unpaid leave during any              

                                                                                

4   12-month period to attend the trial or other court proceeding of            

                                                                                

5   the defendant.                                                              

                                                                                

6       (2) An employee shall provide his or her employer with all of               

                                                                                

7   the following if requesting unpaid leave under this section:                

                                                                                

8       (a) Reasonable notice of the date, time, and anticipated                    

                                                                                

9   duration of the trial or court proceeding for which unpaid leave            

                                                                                

10  is sought.                                                                  

                                                                                

11      (b) A statement from the prosecuting attorney confirming that               

                                                                                

12  the employee is a victim.  The statement required under this                

                                                                                

13  subdivision shall be in a form prescribed by the department of              

                                                                                

14  attorney general.                                                           

                                                                                

15      (3) An employee who is granted unpaid leave under this                      

                                                                                

16  section shall provide his or her employer with a statement from             

                                                                                

17  the clerk of the court in which the trial or court proceeding               

                                                                                

18  occurred confirming the date and time that the employee attended            

                                                                                

19  the trial or court proceeding.  The statement required under this           

                                                                                

20  section shall be in a form prescribed by the department of                  

                                                                                

21  attorney general.                                                           

                                                                                

22      (4) An employer shall not discharge an employee for, or                     

                                                                                

23  prohibit or discourage an employee from, requesting unpaid leave            

                                                                                

24  under this section.  An employer who violates this subsection is            

                                                                                

25  liable to an employee in a civil action for all damages incurred,           

                                                                                

26  including reasonable attorney fees.                                         

                                                                                

27      (5) An employee who is a victim shall not lose seniority and                


                                                                                

1   other rights and benefits that are determined by seniority for              

                                                                                

2   using leave time to attend a trial or other court proceeding of             

                                                                                

3   the defendant.                                                              

                                                                                

4       (6) As used in this section:                                                

                                                                                

5       (a) "Employee" means a person who performs a service for                    

                                                                                

6   wages or other remuneration under a contract of hire, written or            

                                                                                

7   oral, express or implied.  Employee includes a person employed by           

                                                                                

8   this state or a political subdivision of this state, except state           

                                                                                

9   classified civil service.                                                   

                                                                                

10      (b) "Employer" means a person who has 25 or more employees.                 

                                                                                

11  Employer includes an agent of an employer in this state or a                

                                                                                

12  political subdivision of this state.                                        

                                                                                

13      Sec. 23.   Nothing in this article shall be construed as                    

                                                                                

14  creating  Except as provided in section 12a, this article does              

                                                                                

15  not create a cause of action for money damages against the state,           

                                                                                

16  a county, or a municipality or any of  their  its agencies,  or             

                                                                                

17  instrumentalities, or employees.                                            

                                                                                

18      Sec. 40a.  (1) An employee who is a victim is entitled to a                 

                                                                                

19  total of not more than 12 workweeks of unpaid leave during any              

                                                                                

20  12-month period to attend the trial or other court proceeding of            

                                                                                

21  the defendant.                                                              

                                                                                

22      (2) An employee shall provide his or her employer with all of               

                                                                                

23  the following if requesting unpaid leave under this section:                

                                                                                

24      (a) Reasonable notice of the date, time, and anticipated                    

                                                                                

25  duration of the trial or court proceeding for which unpaid leave            

                                                                                

26  is sought.                                                                  

                                                                                

27      (b) A statement from the prosecuting attorney confirming that               


                                                                                

1   the employee is a victim.  The statement required under this                

                                                                                

2   subdivision shall be in a form prescribed by the department of              

                                                                                

3   attorney general.                                                           

                                                                                

4       (3) An employee who is granted unpaid leave under this                      

                                                                                

5   section shall provide his or her employer with a statement from             

                                                                                

6   the clerk of the court in which the trial or court proceeding               

                                                                                

7   occurred confirming the date and time that the employee attended            

                                                                                

8   the trial or court proceeding.  The statement required under this           

                                                                                

9   section shall be in a form prescribed by the department of                  

                                                                                

10  attorney general.                                                           

                                                                                

11      (4) An employer shall not discharge an employee for, or                     

                                                                                

12  prohibit or discourage an employee from, requesting unpaid leave            

                                                                                

13  under this section.  An employer who violates this subsection is            

                                                                                

14  liable to an employee in a civil action for all damages incurred,           

                                                                                

15  including reasonable attorney fees.                                         

                                                                                

16      (5) An employee who is a victim shall not lose seniority and                

                                                                                

17  other rights and benefits that are determined by seniority for              

                                                                                

18  using leave time to attend a trial or other court proceeding of             

                                                                                

19  the defendant.                                                              

                                                                                

20      (6) As used in this section:                                                

                                                                                

21      (a) "Employee" means a person who performs a service for                    

                                                                                

22  wages or other remuneration under a contract of hire, written or            

                                                                                

23  oral, express or implied.  Employee includes a person employed by           

                                                                                

24  this state or a political subdivision of this state, except state           

                                                                                

25  classified civil service.                                                   

                                                                                

26      (b) "Employer" means a person who has 25 or more employees.                 

                                                                                

27  Employer includes an agent of an employer in this state or a                


                                                                                

1   political subdivision of this state.                                        

                                                                                

2       Sec. 50.   Nothing in this article shall be construed as                    

                                                                                

3   creating  Except as provided in section 40a, this article does              

                                                                                

4   not create a cause of action for money damages against the state,           

                                                                                

5   a county, or a municipality or any of  their  its agencies,                 

                                                                                

6   instrumentalities, or employees.                                            

                                                                                

7       Sec. 72a.  (1) An employee who is a victim is entitled to a                 

                                                                                

8   total of not more than 12 workweeks of unpaid leave during any              

                                                                                

9   12-month period to attend the trial or other court proceeding of            

                                                                                

10  the defendant.                                                              

                                                                                

11      (2) An employee shall provide his or her employer with all of               

                                                                                

12  the following if requesting unpaid leave under this section:                

                                                                                

13      (a) Reasonable notice of the date, time, and anticipated                    

                                                                                

14  duration of the trial or court proceeding for which unpaid leave            

                                                                                

15  is sought.                                                                  

                                                                                

16      (b) A statement from the prosecuting attorney confirming that               

                                                                                

17  the employee is a victim.  The statement required under this                

                                                                                

18  subdivision shall be in a form prescribed by the department of              

                                                                                

19  attorney general.                                                           

                                                                                

20      (3) An employee who is granted unpaid leave under this                      

                                                                                

21  section shall provide his or her employer with a statement from             

                                                                                

22  the clerk of the court in which the trial or court proceeding               

                                                                                

23  occurred confirming the date and time that the employee attended            

                                                                                

24  the trial or court proceeding.  The statement required under this           

                                                                                

25  section shall be in a form prescribed by the department of                  

                                                                                

26  attorney general.                                                           

                                                                                

27      (4) An employer shall not discharge an employee for, or                     


                                                                                

1   prohibit or discourage an employee from, requesting unpaid leave            

                                                                                

2   under this section.  An employer who violates this subsection is            

                                                                                

3   liable to an employee in a civil action for all damages incurred,           

                                                                                

4   including reasonable attorney fees.                                         

                                                                                

5       (5) An employee who is a victim shall not lose seniority and                

                                                                                

6   other rights and benefits that are determined by seniority for              

                                                                                

7   using leave time to attend a trial or other court proceeding of             

                                                                                

8   the defendant.                                                              

                                                                                

9       (6) As used in this section:                                                

                                                                                

10      (a) "Employee" means a person who performs a service for                    

                                                                                

11  wages or other remuneration under a contract of hire, written or            

                                                                                

12  oral, express or implied.  Employee includes a person employed by           

                                                                                

13  this state or a political subdivision of this state, except state           

                                                                                

14  classified civil service.                                                   

                                                                                

15      (b) "Employer" means a person who has 25 or more employees.                 

                                                                                

16  Employer includes an agent of an employer in this state or a                

                                                                                

17  political subdivision of this state.                                        

                                                                                

18      Sec. 82.   Nothing in this article shall be construed as                    

                                                                                

19  creating  Except as provided in section 72a, this article does              

                                                                                

20  not create a cause of action for money damages against the state,           

                                                                                

21  a county, or a municipality or any of  their  its agencies,                 

                                                                                

22  instrumentalities, or employees.