Legislation to help protect those with special needs

Parents or guardians of a child or adult with special needs can now request that their fingerprints and photograph be taken and included in the Michigan State Police's statewide network system to be used in the event the child or adult goes missing, under legislation signed last Thursday by Gov. Rick Snyder.

"Ensuring that all Michiganders can be identified quickly in an emergency situation is critically important," Snyder said. "This legislation helps parents or guardians of individuals with special needs have greater peace of mind knowing that their loved one can be identified, should an unforeseen emergency occur."

House Bill 4137, sponsored by state Rep. Ben Frederick, expands the current Child Identification and Protection Act to permit a parent or guardian of a child with special needs to request that the child's fingerprints and photograph to be used for distribution, should the child go missing. Senate Bill 38, sponsored by state Sen. Rick Jones, amends Public Act 120 of 1935 to allow the parent or guardian of an individual with special health care needs to request that the individual's fingerprints and photographs be used for distribution, should the individual go missing. The measures are now Public Acts 24 and 25 of 2017.

Snyder also signed two additional bills:

-Senate Bill 119, sponsored by state Sen. Tom Casperson, allows Northern Michigan University to utilize state-owned property for students to study forensic anthropology. The bill requires that the property be used exclusively by Northern Michigan University for studies related to forensic anthropology and other directly related activities. It is now Public Act 26 of 2017.

-House Bill 4136, sponsored by state Rep. Jim Tedder, amends the General Property Tax Act to clarify the administration of delinquent tax revolving funds. It is now Public Act 27 of 2017.

For additional information on this and other legislation, visit www.legislature.mi.gov.

Published: Mon, May 08, 2017