HOUSE BILL No. 6252

 

 

June 12, 2018, Introduced by Reps. Runestad, Brann, Tedder, Dianda, Peterson, Cochran, Cambensy, Lucido, Howrylak, Hertel, Hoadley and Greimel and referred to the Committee on Health Policy.

 

     A bill 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) "Director" means the director of the department.

 

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

 

within the department.

 

     (2) The commission consists of the following 19 members,

 

appointed as follows:

 

     (a) Three members appointed by the governor, at least 1 of

 

whom is a suicide prevention researcher from a university located

 

in this state who is selected from a list of nominees submitted by

 

the Michigan Association of State Universities and at least 1 of

 

whom is a student studying or working in the area of suicide

 

prevention who is selected from a list of nominees submitted by the

 

Michigan Association of State Universities.

 

     (b) One member appointed by the speaker of the house of

 

representatives.

 

     (c) One member appointed by the senate majority leader.

 

     (d) Seven members appointed by the director, at least 5 of

 

whom are selected as follows:

 

     (i) One member from a suicide crisis hotline or suicide

 

prevention services program who is selected from a list of nominees

 

submitted by the Michigan Association of Counties.

 

     (ii) One member who is selected from a list of nominees

 

submitted by the Michigan chapter of the National Association of

 

Social Workers.

 

     (iii) One member who is selected from a list of nominees

 

submitted by the Michigan Psychological Association.

 

     (iv) One member who is selected from a list of nominees

 

submitted by the Michigan Nurses Association.

 

     (v) One member who is selected from a list of nominees

 

submitted by the Michigan Health and Hospital Association.

 

     (e) Four members selected by the director of the department of

 

state police, as follows:

     (i) One member who is selected from a list of nominees

 

submitted by the Michigan Sheriffs' Association.

 

     (ii) One member who is selected from a list of nominees

 

submitted by the Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police.

 

     (iii) One member who is selected from a list of nominees

 

submitted by the Police Officers Association of Michigan.

 

     (iv) One member who is selected from a list of nominees

 

submitted by the Michigan chapter of the Michigan State Police

 

Troopers Association.

 

     (f) One member who is selected by the children's ombudsman.

 

     (g) One member who is selected by the director of the

 

department of military and veterans affairs.

 

     (h) One member who is selected by the Michigan veterans'

 

facility ombudsman.

 

     (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 terms of 4 years

 

or until a successor is appointed, whichever is later, except that

 

of the members first appointed, 3 shall serve for 1 year, 3 shall

 

serve for 2 years, 3 shall serve for 3 years, and 10 shall serve

 

for 4 years.

 

     (5) If a vacancy occurs on the commission, the director shall

 

make an appointment for the unexpired term.

 

     (6) The director may remove a member of the commission for

 

incompetence, dereliction of duty, malfeasance, misfeasance, or

 

nonfeasance in office, or any other good cause.

 

     (7) The director 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 for 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. The commission shall do all of the following:

 

     (a) Work with state departments and agencies and nonprofit

 

organizations on studying the causes and possible underlying

 

factors of suicide in this state. The study must focus on

 

demographics showing the highest suicide rates in this state from

 

January 1, 2007 to January 1, 2017, and the highest growth in

 

suicide rates during the time period described in this subdivision.

     (b) By January 1, 2019, prepare and present a report of its

 

findings to the legislature. The report must include the possible

 

causes for the increase in suicide rates and recommendations for

 

reducing risk factors among the demographics described in

 

subdivision (a) and any other information the commission considers

 

relevant.

 

     (c) Act as an advisory body to the department.

 

     (d) Annually review and update any recommendations made under

 

this act and, if any of the commission's recommendations are

 

implemented, monitor the implementation of the recommendations.

 

     Sec. 7. The commission may, through its chairperson, 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 on initiatives to reduce suicide rates among the

 

demographics described in section 5.

 

     Sec. 9. The department shall furnish administrative services

 

to the commission and provide staff necessary to allow the proper

 

exercise of the powers and duties of the commission. The department

 

shall provide adequate office space to the commission.

 

     Enacting section 1. This act takes effect 90 days after the

 

date it is enacted into law.