Sec. 3.

(1) The department, in consultation with the department of state police, the department of health and human services, and the department of education shall, to the extent that funds are appropriated for the purpose, establish a program for receiving reports and other information from the public regarding potential self-harm and potential harm or criminal acts, including, but not limited to, sexual abuse, assault, or rape, directed at school students, school employees, or schools in this state. The department shall establish the program within the guidelines of this act. The department shall have access to the information needed to meet the reporting requirements of section 8.

(2) The program described in subsection (1) must include a hotline for receiving reports and information described in subsection (1). The hotline must be available for use 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The department may provide promotional information regarding the program on its departmental website.

(3) Prior to operation of the hotline, the department of technology, management, and budget shall issue a request for proposals to enter into a contract for operation of the hotline. The department of technology, management, and budget has sole authority over the request for proposals process and the decision over which entity is awarded the contract. This subsection does not prohibit the department of state police from submitting a proposal. Any contract must require the vendor to be bound by the requirements of this act, including its confidentiality provisions. Beginning on the date that the hotline established under this act is operational, all calls received by any existing state-run school violence hotline in operation before the establishment of this act must be directed to the hotline established under this act. Any existing state-run school violence hotline in operation before December 13, 2013 must be disconnected within 6 months after the hotline established under this act is operational.

(4) The department is responsible for the continued operational and administrative oversight of the program. The program must provide for a means to review all information submitted through the hotline and to direct those reports and that information, including any analysis of the potential threat as determined appropriate by the department or a vendor under contract with the department to local law enforcement officials and school officials. The program must include a means by which responses at the local level are determined and evaluated for effectiveness. The department shall ensure that appropriate training is provided to program personnel in all of the following areas:

(a) Crisis management, including recognizing mental illness and emotional disturbance.

(b) The resources that are available in the community for providing mental health treatment and other human services.

(c) Other matters determined by the department to be relevant to the administration and operation of the program.

(5) A report or other information submitted to the hotline is considered to be a report to a law enforcement agency and must be maintained as a record by the vendor described in subsection (3) for at least 1 year, subject to the confidentiality requirements of this act.

(6) The department shall ensure that any hotline information that suggests that a psychiatric emergency is taking place within a county is immediately referred to the community mental health services program psychiatric crisis line for that county.

(7) The department shall develop a source of information on available community mental health resources and contacts, including mental health services. The department shall notify schools and law enforcement of this information source. The notice must include the departmental recommendation that school and law enforcement, upon investigating a case and determining that mental illness or emotional disturbance is or may be involved, utilize this information in aiding subjects and their parents or guardians.

(8) At least biannually, the governing body of a school shall provide to the department of state police current emergency contact information for at least 1 school official to ensure that a school official is able to receive information under subsection (4) at all times. If a governing body provides contact information for more than 1 school official, the governing body shall specify the days and times that each school official is available to receive information under subsection (4).

History: 2013, Act 183, Imd. Eff. Dec. 13, 2013 ;-- Am. 2018, Act 371, Eff. Mar. 17, 2019 ;-- Am. 2018, Act 670, Eff. Mar. 28, 2019 Compiler's Notes: Enacting section 1 of Act 183 of 2013 provides:"Enacting section 1. This act is repealed effective October 1, 2017."Enacting section 1 of Act 100 of 2017 provides:"Enacting section 1. This act is repealed effective October 1, 2021."Enacting section 1 of Act 550 of 2018 provides:"Enacting section 1. Enacting section 1 of 2013 PA 183, as amended by 2017 PA 100, is repealed."