state of michigan

100th Legislature

Regular session of 2019

Introduced by Senators Runestad, Wojno, Lucido, Irwin, MacDonald, Johnson, Hollier, Alexander, Bayer and Hertel

ENROLLED SENATE BILL No. 228

AN ACT to create a suicide prevention commission within the department of health and human services and to prescribe its powers and duties; and to prescribe the powers and duties of certain state officers and entities.

The People of the State of Michigan enact:

Sec. 1. As used in this act:

(a) Commission means the suicide prevention commission created in section 3.

(b) Department means the department of health and human services.

(c) Executive committee means the executive committee described in section 5.

 

Sec. 3. (1) The suicide prevention commission is created within the department.

(2) The commission consists of the following members:

(a) Sixteen members appointed by the governor as follows:

(i) One member who is a researcher with an advanced degree from a university that is located in this state who is selected from a list of nominees submitted by the Michigan Association of State Universities.

(ii) An undergraduate or graduate student who is studying or working in the area of suicide prevention who is selected from a list of nominees submitted by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

(iii) One member who is selected from a list of nominees submitted by the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators and who is trained in the Michigan Model for Health curriculum.

(iv) One member who is selected from a list of nominees submitted by the School-Community Health Alliance of Michigan.

(v) One member who represents health plans who is selected from lists of nominees submitted by the Michigan Association of Health Plans and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.

(vi) One member who has knowledge or expertise in retiree or vulnerable adult mental health issues who is selected from a list of nominees submitted by the Fraternal Order of Police.

(vii) One member who is a suicide loss survivor who is selected from a list of nominees submitted by the Michigan Sheriffs Association.

(viii) One member who represents a national health care system whose work in this state focuses on providing comprehensive behavioral health services to children, adolescents, and adults throughout this state.

(ix) One member who is experienced in crisis intervention for suicide response who is selected from a list of nominees submitted by the Police Officers Association of Michigan.

(x) One member who is selected from a list of nominees submitted by the Michigan Association of Fire Chiefs.

(xi) One member who is selected from a list of nominees submitted by the Michigan Corrections Organization.

(xii) One member who has experience in suicide prevention who is selected from a list of nominees submitted by the Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police.

(xiii) Two members who are selected from a list of nominees submitted by the speaker of the house of representatives, 1 of whom represents a faith-based organization and 1 who is selected from a list of names provided to the speaker by the Michigan Professional Firefighters Union.

(xiv) Two members who are selected from a list of nominees submitted by the senate majority leader, at least 1 of whom has expertise in suicide prevention from a community mental health services program that holds a grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

(b) The Michigan veterans facility ombudsman or his or her designee.

(c) One member who is appointed by the director of the department of state police with expertise in substance use disorders.

(d) Eight members appointed by the director of the department, including 7 appointed as follows:

(i) One member who represents a substance use disorder treatment provider who is selected from a list of nominees submitted by the Community Mental Health Association of Michigan.

(ii) One member who is selected from a list of nominees submitted by the Michigan Psychological Association.

(iii) One member who is selected from a list of nominees submitted by the Michigan Psychiatric Society.

(iv) One member who is selected from a list of nominees submitted by the Michigan Primary Care Association.

(v) One member who is selected from a list of nominees submitted by the Michigan Health and Hospital Association and who meets both of the following requirements:

(A) Is a physician licensed to engage in the practice of medicine or the practice of osteopathic medicine and surgery.

(B) Has expertise in neurology.

(vi) One member who is in charge of a local health department or his or her designee.

(vii) One member who is a suicide attempt survivor.

(e) One member who is appointed by the director of the department of military and veterans affairs.

(3) The members first appointed to the commission must be appointed within 90 days after the effective date of this act.

(4) Members of the commission shall serve for 1 term of 4 years or until a successor is appointed, whichever is later.

(5) A vacancy on the commission must be filled in the same manner as the original appointment. A member appointed to fill a vacancy must be appointed for the balance of the unexpired term.

(6) The chairperson of the commission may remove a member of the commission for incompetence, dereliction of duty, malfeasance, misfeasance, or nonfeasance in office, or any other good cause, on a motion that is approved by a majority of the members of the commission.

(7) The director of the department shall call the first meeting of the commission. At the first meeting, the commission shall elect from among its members a chairperson and other officers as it considers necessary or appropriate. After the first meeting, the commission shall meet at least quarterly, or more frequently at the call of the chairperson or if requested by 5 or more members.

(8) A majority of the members of the commission constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at a meeting of the commission. A majority of the members present and serving are required for official action of the commission.

(9) The business that the commission may perform must be conducted at a public meeting of the commission held in compliance with the open meetings act, 1976 PA 267, MCL 15.261 to 15.275.

(10) A writing prepared, owned, used, in the possession of, or retained by the commission in the performance of an official function is subject to the freedom of information act, 1976 PA 442, MCL 15.231 to 15.246.

(11) Members of the commission shall serve without compensation. However, members of the commission may be reimbursed for their actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their official duties as members of the commission.

Sec. 5. (1) The commission shall do all of the following:

(a) Work with state departments and agencies and nonprofit organizations on researching the causes and possible underlying factors of suicide in this state. The research must focus on demographics showing the highest suicide rates in this state in the decade immediately preceding the effective date of this act, and the highest growth in suicide rates during the time period described in this subdivision. In determining the demographics, the commission shall consider, at a minimum, all of the following:

(i) Urban and rural areas, including the Upper Peninsula.

(ii) Race.

(iii) Sex.

(iv) Occupation.

(v) Age.

(vi) Socioeconomic status.

(b) By 6 months after the effective date of this act, prepare and present a preliminary report of its research and findings to the legislature. The report must include identified causes for the increase in suicide rates among the demographics described in subdivision (a) and any other information the commission considers relevant.

(c) By 1 year after the effective date of this act, and each year thereafter, prepare and present to the legislature an updated version of the report described in subdivision (b). The updated version of the report must include recommendations for reducing risk factors among the demographics described in subdivision (a) and contain a list of evidence-based programs for suicide prevention in this state with successful outcomes.

(d) Annually review and update any recommendations made under this act and, if any of the commissions recommendations are implemented, provide a process for ongoing monitoring of the implementation of the recommendations.

(e) Provide recommendations for a process for continued state coordination on suicide data collection, suicide prevention programs, and a coordinated state approach to the prevention of suicide to continue after this act no longer applies.

(2) At the first meeting of the commission, the commission shall establish a 7-member executive committee that consists of all of the following:

(a) Two members elected by the commission from among its members.

(b) The member appointed to the commission by the governor under section 3(2)(a)(i).

(c) The Michigan veterans facility ombudsman or his or her designee.

(d) The member appointed to the commission by the director of the department of state police under section 3(2)(c).

(e) One member selected by the director of the department from the commission members appointed under section 3(2)(d).

(f) One member selected by the governor from the commission members appointed under section 3(2)(a)(xiv).

(3) The executive committee shall do all of the following:

(a) Oversee the compilation of data and available resources in coordination with universities in this state.

(b) Set timelines and tasks for the completion of the commissions work by December 30, 2024.

(4) The commission shall also establish subcommittees that may consist of individuals who are not members of the commission, including, but not limited to, experts in matters of interest to the commission, including the demographics described in subsection (1)(a).

 

Sec. 7. The commission may, through its executive committee, research policy recommendations from relevant sources and policy initiatives from other states in order to make recommendations to the governor and to the chairpersons of the house and senate standing committees on health policy and the judiciary on initiatives to reduce suicide rates among the demographics described in section 5.

 

Sec. 9. The department shall furnish clerking services to the commission.

 

Sec. 11. This act does not apply beginning December 31, 2024.

 

Enacting section 1. This act takes effect 90 days after the date it is enacted into law.

This act is ordered to take immediate effect.

 

Secretary of the Senate

Clerk of the House of Representatives

Approved___________________________________________

____________________________________________________

Governor