Bill > SB0081

This bill expands the duties of the Michigan Indigent Defense Commission (MIDC) to include providing effective legal representation for indigent youth, meaning individuals under 18 who are involved in delinquency proceedings, in addition to adults facing criminal charges. The MIDC, an autonomous entity within the department of licensing and regulatory affairs, is responsible for developing and enforcing minimum standards for indigent defense services to ensure constitutional rights to legal counsel are met. The bill outlines the composition of the MIDC, its powers and duties including investigating compliance and providing grants to local governments to help them meet these standards, and establishes procedures for dispute resolution between the MIDC and local indigent defense systems. It also clarifies the definition of "indigent" and "partially indigent" for both adults and youth, and details how local governments, referred to as "indigent defense systems," must develop plans and cost analyses to comply with the MIDC's standards, with state funding available to cover costs exceeding a system's "local share," which is its historical spending on indigent defense.