The Michigan Senate yesterday signed off on a set of amendments to Wyatt’s Law that would widen the state’s central child abuse registry to cover manslaughter and criminal sexual conduct. The package now heads to the Michigan House, while the law’s namesake, 13-year-old Wyatt, and his mother, Erica Hammel-McLaughlin, watch another key step in a campaign she has pushed for years after her son’s severe injuries.
As reported by FOX 2 Detroit, senators framed the amendment package as a way to spell out which serious offenses can be placed on the Central Registry for Child Abuse and Neglect. FOX 2 noted that Wyatt’s Law first took effect in 2022 and quoted Hammel-McLaughlin saying the updates are about making sure anyone who hurts a child is identified on this.
How Wyatt’s Law Came To Be
Wyatt’s Law, which was enacted as Public Act 66 in 2022, created an electronic statewide central registry intended to give parents, employers, and child care providers clearer access to confirmed cases of child abuse and neglect, according to the governor’s office. The law requires the Department of Health and Human Services to list perpetrators in certain serious cases and set up a system that makes registry information easier to pull for people responsible for children’s safety.
The enrolled act, Act No. 66 (HB 5276), lays out the statutory framework and contains the full language behind the registry.
What The New Amendments Would Do
The Senate-approved amendments would explicitly add manslaughter and criminal sexual conduct to the list of offenses that can land someone on the central registry. Supporters say that widening the statute in this way is meant to help courts, prosecutors, and child care employers spot past dangerous conduct at the moments when those histories matter most.
Where This Could Matter Locally
Prosecutors in Macomb County and other parts of the state have already cited the registry at sentencing and in court orders, showing how judges can use the tool after convictions. Local coverage of recent cases, including reporting on a Warren prosecution and other Macomb County matters, indicates that Wyatt’s Law is already part of courtroom decision-making and that a broader registry could shift how prior offenses are weighed.
WWJ and earlier Hoodline report on a Warren prosecution outline examples where judges have leaned on the registry at sentencing.
Next Steps
With the Senate’s amendments now on the House calendar, lawmakers in Lansing will decide whether to send the package to the governor’s desk. If the House signs off and the governor approves the changes, the Central Registry’s reach will formally expand to cover additional categories of serious offenses involving children, a move advocates argue will bolster protections for families and the institutions that care for kids.
