DHS ASSISTANCE INFORMATION H.B. 5341:
SUMMARY OF HOUSE-PASSED BILL
IN COMMITTEE
House Bill 5341 (as passed by the House)
Sponsor: Representative Thomas B. Hooker
House Committee: Families, Children, and Seniors
Senate Committee: Families, Seniors and Human Services
CONTENT
The bill would amend the Social Welfare Act to prohibit the release or inspection of documents authored by or obtained from an agency or organization other than the Department of Human Services unless required by Federal or State law, in response to a court order.
Under the Act, applications and records concerning an applicant for, or recipient of, assistance, except medical assistance, are public records and are open to inspection by people authorized by Federal or State government, the Department of Human Services, or officials of the county, city, or district involved, in connection with their official acts, and by the general public, subject to certain restrictions.
The bill specifies that documents, reports, or records authored by or obtained from another agency or organization could not be released or open for inspection unless required by other State or Federal law, in response to an order issued by a judge, magistrate, or other authorized judicial officer.
MCL 400.64 Legislative Analyst: Jeff Mann
FISCAL IMPACT
The bill could result in a minor fiscal impact on the Department of Human Services (DHS), and would not likely affect local units of government.
The changes in the bill could reduce some of the workload for some DHS local office workers, possibly reducing the amount of staff time that is required to compile the record requests. The DHS already charges for copying and postage of the records.
Fiscal Analyst: Frances Carley
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.