Sec. 2.
As used in this act:
(a) "Adult foster care location authorized to care for a child" means an adult foster care family home or adult foster care small group home as defined in section 3 of the adult foster care facility licensing act, 1979 PA 218, MCL 400.703, in which a child is placed in accordance with section 5 of 1973 PA 116, MCL 722.115.
(b) "Attorney" means, if appointed to represent a child under the provisions referenced in section 10, an attorney serving as the child's legal advocate in the manner defined and described in section 13a of chapter XIIA of the probate code of 1939, 1939 PA 288, MCL 712A.13a.
(c) "Central registry" means the system maintained at the department that is used to keep a record of all reports filed with the department under this act in which relevant and accurate evidence of child abuse or child neglect is found to exist.
(d) "Central registry case" means a child protective services case that the department classifies under sections 8 and 8d as category I or category II. For a child protective services case that was investigated before July 1, 1999, central registry case means an allegation of child abuse or child neglect that the department substantiated.
(e) "Child" means a person under 18 years of age.
(f) "Child abuse" means harm or threatened harm to a child's health or welfare that occurs through nonaccidental physical or mental injury, sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, or maltreatment, by a parent, a legal guardian, or any other person responsible for the child's health or welfare or by a teacher, a teacher's aide, or a member of the clergy.
(g) "Child care organization" means that term as defined in section 1 of 1973 PA 116, MCL 722.111.
(h) "Child care provider" means an owner, operator, employee, or volunteer of a child care organization or of an adult foster care location authorized to care for a child.
(i) "Child care regulatory agency" means the department or a successor state department that is responsible for the licensing or registration of child care organizations or the licensing of adult foster care locations authorized to care for a child.
(j) "Child neglect" means harm or threatened harm to a child's health or welfare by a parent, legal guardian, or any other person responsible for the child's health or welfare that occurs through either of the following:
(i) Negligent treatment, including the failure to provide adequate food, clothing, shelter, or medical care.
(ii) Placing a child at an unreasonable risk to the child's health or welfare by failure of the parent, legal guardian, or other person responsible for the child's health or welfare to intervene to eliminate that risk when that person is able to do so and has, or should have, knowledge of the risk.
(k) "Citizen review panel" means a panel established as required by section 106 of title I of the child abuse prevention and treatment act, 42 USC 5106a.
(l) "Member of the clergy" means a priest, minister, rabbi, Christian science practitioner, or other religious practitioner, or similar functionary of a church, temple, or recognized religious body, denomination, or organization.
(m) "Controlled substance" means that term as defined in section 7104 of the public health code, 1978 PA 368, MCL 333.7104.
(n) "CPSI system" means the child protective service information system, which is an internal data system maintained within and by the department, and which is separate from the central registry and not subject to section 7.
(o) "Department" means the department of human services.
(p) "Director" means the director of the department.
(q) "Expunge" means to physically remove or eliminate and destroy a record or report.
(r) "Lawyer-guardian ad litem" means an attorney appointed under section 10 who has the powers and duties referenced by section 10.
(s) "Local office file" means the system used to keep a record of a written report, document, or photograph filed with and maintained by a county or a regionally based office of the department.
(t) "Nonparent adult" means a person who is 18 years of age or older and who, regardless of the person's domicile, meets all of the following criteria in relation to a child:
(i) Has substantial and regular contact with the child.
(ii) Has a close personal relationship with the child's parent or with a person responsible for the child's health or welfare.
(iii) Is not the child's parent or a person otherwise related to the child by blood or affinity to the third degree.
(u) "Person responsible for the child's health or welfare" means a parent, legal guardian, person 18 years of age or older who resides for any length of time in the same home in which the child resides, or, except when used in section 7(2)(e) or 8(8), nonparent adult; or an owner, operator, volunteer, or employee of 1 or more of the following:
(i) A licensed or registered child care organization.
(ii) A licensed or unlicensed adult foster care family home or adult foster care small group home as defined in section 3 of the adult foster care facility licensing act, 1979 PA 218, MCL 400.703.
(iii) A court-operated facility as approved under section 14 of the social welfare act, 1939 PA 280, MCL 400.14.
(v) "Relevant evidence" means evidence having a tendency to make the existence of a fact that is at issue more probable than it would be without the evidence.
(w) "Sexual abuse" means engaging in sexual contact or sexual penetration as those terms are defined in section 520a of the Michigan penal code, 1931 PA 328, MCL 750.520a, with a child.
(x) "Sexual exploitation" includes allowing, permitting, or encouraging a child to engage in prostitution, or allowing, permitting, encouraging, or engaging in the photographing, filming, or depicting of a child engaged in a listed sexual act as defined in section 145c of the Michigan penal code, 1931 PA 328, MCL 750.145c.
(y) "Specified information" means information in a children's protective services case record related specifically to the department's actions in responding to a complaint of child abuse or child neglect. Specified information does not include any of the following:
(i) Except as provided in this subparagraph regarding a perpetrator of child abuse or child neglect, personal identification information for any individual identified in a child protective services record. The exclusion of personal identification information as specified information prescribed by this subparagraph does not include personal identification information identifying an individual alleged to have perpetrated child abuse or child neglect, which allegation has been classified as a central registry case.
(ii) Information in a law enforcement report as provided in section 7(8).
(iii) Any other information that is specifically designated as confidential under other law.
(iv) Any information not related to the department's actions in responding to a report of child abuse or child neglect.
(z) "Structured decision-making tool" means the department document labeled "DSS-4752 (P3) (3-95)" or a revision of that document that better measures the risk of future harm to a child.
(aa) "Substantiated" means a child protective services case classified as a central registry case.
(bb) "Unsubstantiated" means a child protective services case the department classifies under sections 8 and 8d as category III, category IV, or category V.
History: 1975, Act 238, Eff. Oct. 1, 1975 ;-- Am. 1978, Act 252, Eff. Mar. 30, 1979 ;-- Am. 1980, Act 511, Imd. Eff. Jan. 26, 1981 ;-- Am. 1984, Act 418, Eff. Mar. 29, 1985 ;-- Am. 1988, Act 372, Eff. Mar. 30, 1989 ;-- Am. 1990, Act 212, Imd. Eff. Sept. 27, 1990 ;-- Am. 1993, Act 251, Imd. Eff. Nov. 24, 1993 ;-- Am. 1996, Act 581, Eff. Mar. 31, 1997 ;-- Am. 1998, Act 428, Eff. Apr. 1, 1999 ;-- Am. 1998, Act 483, Eff. Mar. 1, 1999 ;-- Am. 1998, Act 484, Eff. July 1, 1999 ;-- Am. 1998, Act 531, Eff. July 1, 1999 ;-- Am. 2000, Act 45, Imd. Eff. Mar. 27, 2000 ;-- Am. 2002, Act 661, Imd. Eff. Dec. 23, 2002 ;-- Am. 2002, Act 693, Eff. Mar. 1, 2003 ;-- Am. 2004, Act 563, Imd. Eff. Jan. 3, 2005 ;-- Am. 2014, Act 30, Eff. Mar. 31, 2015
Last modified: October 10, 2016