Sec. 15.
(1) If an Indian child is the subject of a child protective proceeding under section 2(b) of chapter XIIA, including instances in which the parent or Indian custodian executed a release under section 28 of chapter X during the pendency of that proceeding, or a guardianship proceeding under section 5204 or 5205 of the estates and protected individuals code, 1998 PA 386, MCL 700.5204 and 700.5205, if a parent does not provide consent as described in section 13 of this chapter, or a guardianship proceeding under section 19a or 19c of chapter XIIA, the following requirements must be met:
(a) Notice of the pending proceeding must be given as prescribed by Michigan supreme court rule, the Indian child welfare act, and section 9 of this chapter.
(b) The proceeding shall be conducted in accordance with Michigan supreme court rules and subsections (2) to (4).
(c) Section 25 of this chapter applies in a guardianship proceeding under section 5204 or 5205 of the estates and protected individuals code, 1998 PA 386, MCL 700.5204 and 700.5205.
(2) An Indian child may be removed from a parent or Indian custodian, placed into a foster care placement, or, for an Indian child already taken into protective custody, remain removed from a parent or Indian custodian pending further proceedings, only upon clear and convincing evidence, that includes testimony of at least 1 expert witness who has knowledge of child rearing practices of the Indian child's tribe, that active efforts have been made to provide remedial services and rehabilitative programs designed to prevent the breakup of the Indian family, that the active efforts were unsuccessful, and that the continued custody of the child by the parent or Indian custodian is likely to result in serious emotional or physical damage to the child. The active efforts must take into account the prevailing social and cultural conditions and way of life of the Indian child's tribe.
(3) A party seeking a termination of parental rights to an Indian child under state law must demonstrate to the court's satisfaction that active efforts have been made to provide remedial services and rehabilitative programs designed to prevent the breakup of the Indian family and that the active efforts were unsuccessful.
(4) No termination of parental rights may be ordered in a proceeding described in this section without a determination, supported by evidence beyond a reasonable doubt, including testimony of at least 1 qualified expert witness as described in section 17, that the continued custody of the child by the parent or Indian custodian is likely to result in serious emotional or physical damage to the child.
(5) Any Indian child who is the subject of any action for termination of parental rights under state law, any parent or Indian custodian from whose custody the child was removed, and the Indian child's tribe may petition any court of competent jurisdiction to invalidate the action upon a showing that the action violated any provision of this section.
History: Add. 2012, Act 565, Imd. Eff. Jan. 2, 2013
Popular Name: Probate Code
Last modified: October 10, 2016