HB-4478, As Passed Senate, January 21, 2004                                 

SENATE SUBSTITUTE FOR

HOUSE BILL NO. 4478

                                                                             A bill to amend 1990 PA 211, entitled                                             

"The parental rights restoration act,"                                      

by amending sections 3 and 4 (MCL 722.903 and 722.904).                     

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

1       Section 3.  (1) Except as otherwise provided in this act, a                 

2   person shall not perform an abortion on a minor without first               

3   obtaining the written consent of the minor and 1 of the parents             

4   or the legal guardian of the minor.                                         

5       (2) If a parent or the legal guardian is not available or                   

6   refuses to give his or her consent, or if the minor elects not to           

7   seek consent of a parent or the legal guardian, the minor may               

8   petition the  probate family division of circuit court  pursuant           

9   to as provided in section 4 for a waiver of the parental consent           

10  requirement of this section.                                                

11      Section 4.  (1) The  probate family division of circuit

1   court has jurisdiction  of over proceedings related to a minor's           

2   petition for a waiver of parental consent.                                  

3       (2) Proceedings held  pursuant to under this act shall be                  

4   completed with confidentiality and sufficient expedition to                 

5   provide an effective opportunity for the minor to provide                   

6   self-consent to an abortion, in accordance with all of the                  

7   following:                                                                  

8       (a) The  probate family division of circuit court shall,                   

9   upon its first contact with a minor seeking a waiver of parental            

10  consent under this act, provide the minor with notice that the              

11  minor may not seek a waiver of parental consent in that court if            

12  the minor has been denied a waiver concerning the same pregnancy            

13  by another family division of circuit court, and of the minor's             

14  right to all of the following:                                              

15      (i) Confidentiality of the proceedings, including the right                 

16  to use initials in the petition.                                            

17      (ii) Court appointment of an attorney or guardian ad litem.                 

18      (iii) Assistance with preparing and filing the petition.                    

19      (b) A minor may file a petition for waiver of parental                      

20  consent in the  probate family division of circuit court  of in

21  the county in which the minor resides.  For purposes of this act,           

22  the county in which the minor resides means the county in which             

23  the minor's residence is located or the county in which the minor           

24  is found.  A minor shall not file a petition for waiver of                  

25  parental consent in a family division of circuit court if the               

26  minor has previously been denied a waiver of parental consent by            

27  another family division of circuit court concerning the same                

1   pregnancy.

2       (c) Upon request of the minor, the  probate family division                

3   of circuit court shall provide the minor with assistance in                 

4   preparing and filing the petition for waiver of parental                    

5   consent.                                                                    

6       (d) A minor may file a petition for waiver of parental                      

7   consent under this act on her own behalf or through a next                  

8   friend.  The minor may use initials or some other means of                  

9   assuring confidentiality in the petition.                                   

10      (e) Upon request of the minor, the  probate family division                

11  of circuit court shall appoint an attorney or guardian ad litem             

12  within 24 hours to represent the minor in proceedings under this            

13  section.                                                                    

14      (f) A minor is not required to pay a fee for proceedings                    

15  under this section.                                                         

16      (g) A hearing on a petition for waiver of parental consent                  

17  under this act shall be held within 72 hours, excluding Sundays             

18  and holidays, after the petition is filed and shall be closed to            

19  the public.  All records of proceedings related to the petition             

20  for waiver of parental consent under this act are confidential.             

21      (h) The  probate family division of circuit court that hears               

22  the petition for waiver of parental consent shall issue and make            

23  a part of the confidential record its specific findings of fact             

24  and conclusions of law in support of its ruling either on the               

25  record or in a written opinion.                                             

26      (i) A written order granting or denying a petition for waiver               

27  of parental consent filed  pursuant to under this act shall be             

1   issued within 48 hours, excluding Sundays and holidays, after the           

2   hearing on the petition is held.                                            

3   (j) If a petition for waiver of parental consent is denied,                 

4   the family division of circuit court shall inform the minor of              

5   all of the following:                                                       

6       (i) Her right to appeal the family division of circuit                      

7   court's decision to the court of appeals.                                   

8       (ii) That she may not initiate proceedings concerning the                   

9   same pregnancy in another family division of circuit court.                 

10      (iii) That if there is an unanticipated change in the                       

11  circumstances of her pregnancy or family situation, she may                 

12  return to the family division of circuit court that denied the              

13  waiver to request a rehearing of her petition.

14      (3) The  probate family division of circuit court shall                    

15  grant a waiver of parental consent if it finds  either of the               

16  following:  (a) The that the minor is sufficiently mature and              

17  well-enough informed to make the decision regarding abortion                

18  independently of her parents or legal guardian.   (b) The waiver            

19  would be in the best interests of the minor. In making a                   

20  determination under this subsection, the family division of                 

21  circuit court shall consider the rebuttable presumption that a              

22  minor is not capable of providing informed consent for medical              

23  treatment.  A waiver of parental consent may only be granted                

24  under this subsection if the family division of circuit court               

25  finds that the minor demonstrates a level of maturity expected of           

26  an individual who has reached the age of majority after taking              

27  into consideration the evidence presented on each of the                    

1   following factors:                                                          

2   (a) Whether the minor is before the court voluntarily or                    

3   whether the minor has been subjected to duress or coercion by a             

4   third party.                                                                

5       (b) The minor's age, ability to comprehend information, and                 

6   ability to express herself.                                                 

7       (c) The degree of the minor's dependence on her parent or                   

8   legal guardian and the degree of parental supervision in the                

9   daily affairs of the minor, including housing arrangements,                 

10  financial support, independent work experience, and means of                

11  transportation.                                                             

12      (d) The minor's school attendance, academic performance,                    

13  future education, or career goals.                                          

14      (e) The circumstances of the minor's pregnancy, including                   

15  actions taken to maintain her personal health and prevent                   

16  pregnancy and any previous pregnancies she may have had.                    

17      (f) Other life experiences that demonstrate a pattern of                    

18  responsible, mature behavior.                                               

19      (g) The minor's knowledge of her personal medical history;                  

20  awareness of the physical risks of abortion and of carrying her             

21  pregnancy to term, including whether the minor has consulted with           

22  medical or mental health professionals about alternatives to                

23  abortion; and her assessment of the psychological and emotional             

24  consequences of abortion, parenting, or placing a child for                 

25  adoption.                                                                   

26      (4) If the family division of circuit court does not find                   

27  that a minor is sufficiently mature and well-enough informed to             

1   make the decision regarding abortion independently of her parents           

2   or legal guardian as provided in subsection (3), the family                 

3   division of circuit court shall grant a waiver of parental                  

4   consent if it finds that the waiver would be in the best interest           

5   of the minor.  In making a determination under this subsection,             

6   the family division of circuit court shall consider the                     

7   rebuttable presumption that a minor's best interest is served by            

8   involvement of the minor's parents in medical decision making.  A           

9   waiver of parental consent under this subsection shall only be              

10  granted if the court finds that both of the minor's parents or              

11  the legal guardian has defaulted in their duties to the minor               

12  that they have abdicated their right to the parental involvement            

13  provided by this act after consideration of the evidence                    

14  presented on each of the following factors:                                 

15      (a) The nature of the minor's relationship with her parents                 

16  or legal guardian, including patterns of care, support, and                 

17  involvement or of neglect, hostility, or abuse.                             

18      (b) The minor's reasons for seeking an abortion, including                  

19  her personal desires, the age and involvement of the biological             

20  father, and the potential influence of other parties.                       

21      (c) The minor's specific reasons for excluding a parent or                  

22  legal guardian from the abortion decision.                                  

23      (d) Whether the parents or legal guardian has previous                      

24  knowledge of the minor's sexual activity or involvement in                  

25  decisions regarding the minor's sexual activity.                            

26      (e) The degree to which the parent or legal guardian is                     

27  involved in the minor's school and community activities.

1   (5)  (4)  A minor who is denied a waiver under this section                 

2   may appeal the  probate family division of circuit court's                 

3   decision to the court of appeals.  Appeal proceedings shall be              

4   expedited and confidential.  The notice of appeal shall be filed            

5   within 24 hours of the issuance of the order denying the                    

6   petition.  The appeal shall be perfected within 72 hours,                   

7   excluding Sundays and holidays, from the filing of the notice of            

8   appeal.  A minor who is denied a waiver under this section shall            

9   not initiate proceedings seeking a waiver of parental consent               

10  regarding the same pregnancy in another family division of                  

11  circuit court.

12  (6)  (5)  The confidentiality requirements of this section do               

13  not prevent the  probate family division of circuit court from             

14  reporting suspected child abuse under section 4 of the child                

15  protection law,  Act No. 238 of the Public Acts of 1975, being              

16  section 722.624 of the Michigan Compiled Laws 1975 PA 238, MCL             

17  722.624.                                                                    

18  (7)  (6)  If a minor who is seeking a waiver of parental                    

19  consent reveals to the  probate family division of circuit court           

20  that she is the victim of sexual abuse, and that her pregnancy              

21  is, or may be, the result of sexual abuse, the  probate family             

22  division of circuit court shall immediately do all of the                   

23  following:                                                                  

24      (a) Report the suspected sexual abuse to the  department of                 

25  social services family independence agency or a law enforcement            

26  agency  pursuant to as provided by the child protection law,               

27  Act No. 238 of the Public Acts of 1975, being sections 722.621             

1   to 722.636 of the Michigan Compiled Laws 1975 PA 238, MCL                  

2   722.621 to 722.638.                                                         

3       (b) Inform the minor that there are laws designed to protect                

4   her, including all of the following provisions of chapter XIIA of           

5   the probate code,  Act No. 288 of the Public Acts of 1939, being            

6   sections 712A.1 to 712A.28 of the Michigan Compiled Laws 1939 PA           

7   288, MCL 712A.1 to 712A.32:                                                 

8       (i) That a law enforcement officer may without court order                  

9   take the minor into temporary protective custody if, after                  

10  investigation, the officer has reasonable grounds to conclude               

11  that the minor's health, safety, or welfare would be endangered             

12  by leaving her in the custody of her parent or legal guardian.              

13      (ii) That the  juvenile family division of  the probate

14  circuit court may, upon learning of the suspected sexual abuse,             

15  immediately hold a preliminary inquiry to determine whether a               

16  petition for court jurisdiction should be filed or whether other            

17  action should be taken.                                                     

18      (iii) That the  juvenile family division of circuit court                  

19  shall appoint an attorney to represent the minor in protective              

20  proceedings.                                                                

21      (iv) That after a petition has been filed, the  juvenile

22  family division of circuit court may order that the minor be                

23  placed with someone other than her parent or legal guardian                 

24  pending trial or further court order if  such  placement is                 

25  necessary to avoid substantial risk to the minor's life, physical           

26  health, or mental well-being.                                               

27  (8) If a family division of circuit court finds that a minor                

1   has previously been denied a waiver of parental consent by                  

2   another family division of circuit court concerning the same                

3   pregnancy, the family division of circuit court shall dismiss the           

4   pending petition for a waiver of parental consent.

5   (9)  (7)  As used in this section, "child abuse" and "sexual                

6   abuse" mean those terms as defined in section 2 of the child                

7   protection law,  Act No. 238 of the Public Acts of 1975, being              

8   section 722.622 of the Michigan Compiled Laws 1975 PA 238, MCL             

9   722.622.