House committee hears bills to shorten mental-health records timeline and require recurring mandated-reporter training

Lansing — The House Families and Veterans Committee heard testimony on two bills intended to speed investigations of suspected child abuse and bolster mandated-reporter knowledge.

Representative Pachotzke introduced House Bill 45-30 to change the mental-health code so that mental-health providers must supply records requested by Child Protective Services within seven days instead of the current 14. Representative Regas described House Bill 45-31, which would require mandated reporters — teachers, medical professionals, social workers and others listed in Michigan's child protection law — to complete a training developed by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services once every three years.

Ryan Bridal, Michigan child advocate, told the committee that “simply put, they will keep Michigan's children safer,” and described the bills as a response to recommendations from the Office of the Child Advocate following a 2020 child death investigation. Bridal said the OCA reviewed the case involving a 06/28/2020 murder-suicide and found prior and ongoing CPS activity in which mental-health records were not provided promptly. He said a provider initially refused to release records without a signed release from the parent and that, after explanation, the OCA obtained more than 500 pages of records.

Bridal explained the timing problem these bills are meant to address: Child Protective Services has 30 days to complete certain investigations, he said, and if a provider takes 14 days to respond and then supplies voluminous files late in the case, investigators may not be able to review the records before their deadline. HB 45-30 seeks to shorten the provider response window to seven days to reduce that risk.

On HB 45-31, Bridal testified the state currently has no statutory requirement to repeat mandated-reporter training and said repeated training would help mandated reporters “recognize signs of child abuse or neglect and better understand their legal responsibilities.” He told lawmakers his office has reviewed thousands of CPS cases and closed over 5,000 OCA investigations during his tenure, which shaped the OCA’s recommendations.

Committee members asked about interagency coordination and practical implementation. Representative Thompson asked whether statute requires coordination between CPS and law enforcement; Bridal said statute does require mutual reporting and joint investigations but that in practice agencies sometimes operate in silos. Representative Burns asked how the state would ensure providers know the shortened timeframe; Bridal said MDHHS is developing the curriculum and that his office and MDHHS can distribute materials broadly (noting a prior distribution of a training video via roughly 600,000 emails). Representative Wozniak asked when the seven-day clock would start; Bridal said it would start when the CPS investigator submits the records request to the provider.

Members raised concerns about the effect on therapeutic relationships. Representative Reingans noted mental-health providers aim to preserve trust with patients and worried that compelled or rushed disclosures could undermine therapy. Bridal answered the office’s priority is child safety and said the bills would not change the underlying reporting responsibilities beyond shortening the records-response timeline.

Supporters filed cards in favor, including representatives from the Department of Health and Human Services, the Michigan Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence, and the Michigan Council for Maternal and Child Health.

The bills were discussed but not voted on by the committee in this session; staff said the MDHHS is developing training materials tied to the statutory change.

Clarifying details from testimony: the current provider-response window in the mental-health code is 14 days; HB 45-30 would change that to seven days. CPS has a 30-day statutory timeframe for completing investigations, per testimony. The OCA described one case dated 06/28/2020 in which records ultimately amounted to more than 500 pages. HB 45-31 would require MDHHS-developed mandated-reporter training every three years; the bill does not include an enforcement mechanism for noncompliance.