---
type: "Bill"
title: "Children: foster care; family finding and engagement company; require department of health and human services to use to help connect foster children to family members and friends. Amends 1994 PA 203 (MCL 722.951 - 722.960) by adding sec. 3b."
description: "Children: foster care; family finding and engagement company; require department of health and human services to use to help connect foster children to family members and friends. Amends 1994 PA 203 (MCL 722.951 - 722.960) by adding sec. 3b."
jurisdiction: "us/states/mi"
legislature: "Michigan Legislature"
session: "2021-2022"
identifier: "HB 5978"
citation: "Michigan HB 5978 (2021-2022)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Children: foster care", "State agencies (existing): health and human services"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Rodney Wakeman"]
version_count: 5
action_count: 28
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2022-03-24T04:00:00+00:00"
last_action: "2022-09-28T04:00:00+00:00"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/bf203f05-e386-44a8-9956-3d43fbb4855b"
source_url: "http://legislature.mi.gov/doc.aspx?2021-HB-5978"
source_hash: "118e414969281003e52a522f2e955bc64cc6027d60108fba4e1bd7187ad0cd16"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-mi"]
---

# Michigan HB 5978 (2021-2022) — Children: foster care; family finding and engagement company; require department of health and human services to use to help connect foster children to family members and friends. Amends 1994 PA 203 (MCL 722.951 - 722.960) by adding sec. 3b.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **As Passed by the House** (committee substitute) — [source](http://legislature.mi.gov/documents/2021-2022/billengrossed/House/htm/2022-HEBH-5978.htm)
2. **As Passed by the Senate** (committee substitute) — [source](http://legislature.mi.gov/documents/2021-2022/billengrossed/House/htm/2022-HEBS-5978.htm)
3. **House Concurred Bill** (committee substitute) — [source](http://legislature.mi.gov/documents/2021-2022/billconcurred/House/htm/2022-HCB-5978.htm)
4. **House Introduced Bill** (committee substitute) — [source](http://legislature.mi.gov/documents/2021-2022/billintroduced/House/htm/2022-HIB-5978.htm)
5. **Public Act** (committee substitute) — [source](http://legislature.mi.gov/documents/2021-2022/publicact/htm/2022-PA-0204.htm)

## Votes

- passed; given immediate effect Roll Call # 259 Yeas 107 Nays 0 Excused 0 Not Voting 3 — **107–0** (pass) · lower
- PASSED; GIVEN IMMEDIATE EFFECT ROLL CALL # 420 YEAS 36 NAYS 0 EXCUSED 2 NOT VOTING 0 — **36–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Rodney Wakeman — primary (person)
- Brenda Carter — cosponsor (person)
- Bronna Kahle — cosponsor (person)
- Jack O'Malley — cosponsor (person)
- Laurie Pohutsky — cosponsor (person)
- Mary Whiteford — cosponsor (person)
- Phil Green — cosponsor (person)
- Sarah Anthony — cosponsor (person)
- Stephanie Young — cosponsor (person)
- Tommy Brann — cosponsor (person)
- Tyrone Carter — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2022-03-24T04:00:00+00:00** introduced by Representative Rodney Wakeman `introduction`
- **2022-03-24T04:00:00+00:00** read a first time `reading-1`
- **2022-03-24T04:00:00+00:00** referred to Committee on Families, Children, and Seniors `referral-committee`
- **2022-03-24T04:00:00+00:00** bill electronically reproduced 03/24/2022
- **2022-05-11T04:00:00+00:00** reported with recommendation without amendment `committee-passage`
- **2022-05-11T04:00:00+00:00** referred to second reading
- **2022-05-19T04:00:00+00:00** read a second time `reading-2`
- **2022-05-19T04:00:00+00:00** placed on third reading
- **2022-05-24T04:00:00+00:00** read a third time `reading-3`
- **2022-05-24T04:00:00+00:00** passed; given immediate effect Roll Call # 259 Yeas 107 Nays 0 Excused 0 Not Voting 3 `passage`
- **2022-05-24T04:00:00+00:00** transmitted
- **2022-05-26T04:00:00+00:00** REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH POLICY AND HUMAN SERVICES `referral-committee`
- **2022-06-30T04:00:00+00:00** REPORTED FAVORABLY WITHOUT AMENDMENT `committee-passage`
- **2022-06-30T04:00:00+00:00** COMMITTEE RECOMMENDED IMMEDIATE EFFECT
- **2022-06-30T04:00:00+00:00** REFERRED TO COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE `referral-committee`
- **2022-09-20T04:00:00+00:00** REPORTED BY COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE FAVORABLY WITHOUT AMENDMENT(S) `committee-passage`
- **2022-09-20T04:00:00+00:00** PLACED ON ORDER OF THIRD READING
- **2022-09-20T04:00:00+00:00** RULES SUSPENDED
- **2022-09-20T04:00:00+00:00** PLACED ON IMMEDIATE PASSAGE
- **2022-09-20T04:00:00+00:00** PASSED; GIVEN IMMEDIATE EFFECT ROLL CALL # 420 YEAS 36 NAYS 0 EXCUSED 2 NOT VOTING 0 `passage`
- **2022-09-20T04:00:00+00:00** INSERTED FULL TITLE
- **2022-09-21T04:00:00+00:00** returned from Senate without amendment with immediate effect and full title
- **2022-09-21T04:00:00+00:00** full title agreed to
- **2022-09-21T04:00:00+00:00** bill ordered enrolled
- **2022-09-22T04:00:00+00:00** presented to the Governor 09/26/2022 03:19 PM `executive-receipt`
- **2022-09-28T04:00:00+00:00** approved by the Governor 10/07/2022 03:46 PM `executive-signature`
- **2022-09-28T04:00:00+00:00** filed with Secretary of State 10/07/2022 05:06 PM
- **2022-09-28T04:00:00+00:00** assigned PA 204'22 with immediate effect

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/bf203f05-e386-44a8-9956-3d43fbb4855b`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Michigan legislature records).