HB 5080 Summary

• Amends the William Van Regenmorter Crime Victim's Rights Act to expand victim notification requirements regarding prisoners under sheriff or Department of Corrections jurisdiction.

• Requires sheriffs and the Department of Corrections to mail victims information within 30 days of request, including the prisoner's earliest release or parole eligibility date, facility transfers, release notices, and parole board decisions.

• Expands victim rights to include the ability to address the parole board and present exhibits or documentary evidence at parole hearings, including commutation hearings.

• Requires the parole board to automatically grant victims' written requests to address the board and present evidence in cases where prisoners are being considered for parole under MCL 791.235.

• Protects victim privacy by exempting victim addresses and telephone numbers from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act; victim statements to parole boards are also exempt from public disclosure.