Sec. 7.
(1) Upon deciding to investigate a complaint, from a complainant and an individual not meeting the definition of complainant, the ombudsman shall notify the complainant or the individual not meeting the definition of complainant of the decision to investigate and shall notify the department, adoption attorney, or child placing agency of the intention to investigate. If the ombudsman declines to investigate a complaint or continue an investigation, the ombudsman shall notify the complainant or the individual not meeting the definition of complainant and the department, or child placing agency of the decision and of the reasons for the ombudsman's action.
(2) The ombudsman shall advise a complainant of administrative remedies and may advise the individual to pursue all administrative remedies or channels of complaint open to the complainant before pursuing a complaint with the ombudsman. Subsequent to the administrative processing of a complaint, the ombudsman may conduct further investigations of a complaint upon the request of the complainant or upon the ombudsman's own initiative.
(3) If the ombudsman finds in the course of an investigation that an individual's action is in violation of state or federal criminal law, the ombudsman shall immediately report that fact to the county prosecutor or the attorney general. If the complaint is against a child placing agency, the ombudsman shall refer the matter to the department for further action with respect to licensing.
(4) The ombudsman may file a petition on behalf of a child requesting the court to take jurisdiction under section 2(b) of chapter XIIA of the probate code of 1939, 1939 PA 288, MCL 712A.2, or a petition for termination of parental rights under section 19b of chapter XIIA of the probate code of 1939, 1939 PA 288, MCL 712A.19b, if the ombudsman is satisfied that the complainant has contacted the department, the prosecuting attorney, the child's attorney, and the child's guardian ad litem, if any, and that none of these persons intend to file a petition as described in this subsection.
History: 1994, Act 204, Eff. Jan. 1, 1995 ;-- Am. 2004, Act 560, Imd. Eff. Jan. 3, 2005 ;-- Am. 2013, Act 38, Imd. Eff. June 4, 2013
Last modified: October 10, 2016