2009 House Bill 4125: Require certain child death reports

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Introduced by Rep. Dudley Spade (D) on January 27, 2009, to require that if a child who is a ward of the state diesit must be reported by the state Department of Human Services to the state Children's Ombudsman office.
- Referred to the House Family and Childrens Services Committee on January 27, 2009.
- Reported in the House on March 11, 2009, with the recommendation that the substitute (H-1) be adopted and that the bill then pass.
- Substitute offered in the House on March 12, 2009, to replace the previous version of the bill with one that expands the reporting requirement to when a child dies who is the subject of an active child protective services investigation or open case; when the department had received a prior child protective services complaint concerning the child's caretaker; or when the child's death may have resulted from abuse or neglect. The substitute passed by voice vote in the House on March 12, 2009.
Passed 107 to 0 in the House on March 12, 2009, to require that if a child who is a ward of the state dies, or who is the subject of an active child protective services investigation or case, it must be reported by the state the Department of Human Services to the state Children's Ombudsman office.
Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"
Received in the Senate on March 17, 2009.
- Referred to the Senate Families and Human Services Committee on March 17, 2009.

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1) Re: 2009 House Bill 4125 (Require certain child death reports ) by Johnnie on February 9, 2009

Thanks for a thoughtful critique. If the state needs to get anything right, it's stuff like this and foster kids .

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2) Re: 2009 House Bill 4125 (Require certain child death reports ) by Johnnie on February 9, 2009

Thanks for a thoughtful critique. If the state needs to get anything right, it's stuff like this and foster kids.

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3) Re: 2009 House Bill 4125 (Require certain child death reports ) by beverlytran on February 3, 2009

Now, it shall be mandated that Michigan Children's Institute Superintendent must report himself to the Children's Ombudsman to report himself for the failure to protect a child under his care and supervision? Will the Superintendent's rights of being the legal guardian of the rest of the 7,000 children in his care be terminated or will he just have to go to parenting classes and be subjected to weekly random drug screens and psychological evaluation?

DHS must report itself to OCO for "certain" deaths? What ever happened to DHS Inspector General? Will the IG make referral to the Attorney General before or after the report is sent to OCO, or will it continue to operate under the status quo and do absolutely nothing?

Will the OCO finally be referring to the Attorney General if there is found violation of federal and state laws, or will it continue to act as a buffer to make the state look pretty? Even if it is required to report "certain" and not all child deaths of children under the auspices of the state, the OCO has the arbitrary and capricious discretion to either decide not to investigate, or consider the report of "certain" child deaths as "Valid-Not-Opened".

Please, entertain me and define "certain".

Referrals of violations of federal and state law, and policy, is not limited to "County Prosecutors" as Wayne County is uniquely designed as the only county which the State Attorney General prosecutes child welfare actions, but this would be a conflict of interest for the state, would it not? Investigation of death should not strictly be an adminsitrative action, but one, also, for a law enforcement agency.

Coordinate accountability and transparency by referring to the Attorney General, as is mandated by the Act enabling the OCO.

Unleash the Attorney General, now.

Beverly Tran

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