Bill > SB0885

This bill, titled the "parent and child legal representation act," establishes a new Parent and Child Legal Representation Commission and an Office of Parent and Child Legal Representation within the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. The Commission, composed of various appointees including legislative leaders, judicial representatives, and legal professionals with experience in child welfare cases, will be responsible for creating standards for attorneys who represent indigent parents and children in child welfare cases, including setting maximum caseloads and minimum training requirements. It will also establish a system for appointing these attorneys, define indigency for legal representation, and set standardized payment rates, requiring local funding units to contribute their historical average contribution adjusted for inflation, with the state providing additional funding through legislative appropriations. The Office will then implement and oversee these standards, processes for payment, and the provision of expert and ancillary legal services, as well as conduct performance reviews of attorneys and report on child protective legal representation statewide. The Consumer Price Index, a measure of inflation from the U.S. Department of Labor, is referenced for annual adjustments to local funding contributions.

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https://legislature.mi.gov/Bills/Bill?ObjectName=2026-SB-0885