97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2011 and 2012
SB2894

 

Introduced 2/1/2012, by Sen. Ira I. Silverstein

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
See Index

    Amends the Guardianship and Advocacy Act. Provides that, in a case in which a court appoints the State Guardian, the court shall indicate in the order the reasons that the State Guardian appointment, rather than the appointment of another interested party, is required. Provides that the State Guardian shall not be appointed as guardian for a person whose primary diagnosis is mental illness. Provides that each ward of the State Guardian who was adjudicated disabled before the effective date of this amendatory Act and has a primary diagnosis of mental illness shall be the subject of a review hearing and shall be considered eligible for restoration of rights unless evidence demonstrates, by a clear and convincing standard, that guardianship is still required for the ward and that the State Guardian is the only available and suitable guardian. Amends the Clerks of Courts Act to authorize guardianship and advocacy operation fees. Exempts certain parties from these fees. Makes other changes. Amends the Probate Act of 1975. Provides that an order appointing a guardian shall implement the least restrictive alternative, maximize the disabled person's autonomy, and exercise authority over the disabled person only as necessary. Provides that in counties having a population of 1,000,000 or less, in which there is no currently serving public guardian or in which there is a public guardian serving under an expired term of office, the Governor shall, within 90 days after the effective date of this amendatory Act, appoint the Office of State guardian the public guardian. Subsequently, in counties having a population of 1,000,000 or less and upon the expiration of the public guardian's term, the State guardian shall be appointed the public guardian.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

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1    AN ACT concerning guardians.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Guardianship and Advocacy Act is amended by
5changing Sections 31 and 32 as follows:
 
6    (20 ILCS 3955/31)  (from Ch. 91 1/2, par. 731)
7    Sec. 31. Appointment; availability of State Guardian;
8available private guardian. The State Guardian shall not be
9appointed if another suitable person is available and willing
10to accept the guardianship appointment. In all cases where a
11court appoints the State Guardian, the court shall indicate in
12the order appointing the guardian as a finding of fact that no
13other suitable and willing person could be found to accept the
14guardianship appointment. On and after the effective date of
15this amendatory Act of the 97th General Assembly, the court
16shall also indicate in the order, as a finding of fact, the
17reasons that the State Guardian appointment, rather than the
18appointment of another interested party, is required. This
19requirement shall be waived where the Office of State Guardian
20petitions for its own appointment as guardian.
21(Source: P.A. 89-396, eff. 8-20-95.)
 
22    (20 ILCS 3955/32)  (from Ch. 91 1/2, par. 732)

 

 

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1    Sec. 32. Powers and duties of State Guardian; service
2limitation; review hearings.
3    (a) The State Guardian shall have the same powers and
4duties as a private guardian as provided in Article XIa of the
5Probate Act of 1975, approved August 7, 1975. The State
6Guardian shall not provide direct residential services to its
7wards. The State Guardian shall visit and consult with its
8wards at least four times a year for as long as the
9guardianship continues. On and after the effective date of this
10amendatory Act of the 97th General Assembly, the State Guardian
11shall not be appointed as guardian for a person whose primary
12diagnosis is mental illness within the meaning of Section 11a-2
13of the Probate Act of 1975.
14    (b) Each ward of the State Guardian who was adjudicated
15disabled before the effective date of this amendatory Act of
16the 97th General Assembly and has a primary diagnosis of mental
17illness shall be the subject of a review hearing in either the
18county in which the case was established or in which the ward
19now resides. The court shall appoint a guardian ad litem or
20advocate to represent the interests of the ward at this
21hearing, and the State Guardian shall be the petitioner. As
22soon as practical after the effective date of this amendatory
23Act of the 97th General Assembly, the State Guardian shall
24petition under this Section. At the hearing, a ward with a
25primary diagnosis of mental illness shall be considered
26eligible for restoration of rights unless evidence

 

 

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1demonstrates, by a clear and convincing standard, that
2guardianship is still required for the ward with mental illness
3and that the State Guardian is the only available and suitable
4guardian. The court shall determine the appropriateness of
5restoration of the ward's legal rights and the termination of
6the adjudication under Section 11a-20 of the Probate Act of
71975. If the court determines that guardianship is still
8required, it shall consider whether another party may be
9suitable to serve as guardian. If the court continues the
10guardianship with the State Guardian, the court shall enter
11findings of fact in accordance with Section 31 of this Act. The
12court may also determine that further review under this Section
13is no longer required.
14(Source: P.A. 80-1416.)
 
15    Section 10. The Clerks of Courts Act is amended by adding
16Section 27.3f as follows:
 
17    (705 ILCS 105/27.3f new)
18    Sec. 27.3f. Guardianship and advocacy operations fee.
19    (a) As used in this Section, "guardianship and advocacy"
20means the guardianship and advocacy services provided by the
21Guardianship and Advocacy Commission and defined in the
22Guardianship and Advocacy Act. Viable public guardianship and
23advocacy programs, including the public guardianship programs
24created and supervised in probate proceedings in the Illinois

 

 

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1courts, are essential to the administration of justice and
2ensure that incapacitated persons and their estates are
3protected. To defray the expense of maintaining and operating
4the divisions and programs of the Guardianship and Advocacy
5Commission and to support viable guardianship and advocacy
6programs throughout Illinois, each circuit court clerk shall
7charge and collect a fee on all matters filed in probate cases
8in accordance with this Section, but no fees shall be assessed
9against the State Guardian, any public guardian, or any State's
10Attorney.
11    (b) The clerk is entitled to receive the fees specified in
12this Section, which shall be paid in advance, and managed by
13the clerk as set out in paragraph (4), except that, for good
14cause shown, the court may suspend, reduce, or release the
15costs payable under this Section:
16        (1) For administration of the estate of a decedent
17    (whether testate or intestate) or of a ward, or of a
18    missing person, a fee of $150, plus the fees specified in
19    paragraph (3), except:
20            (A) When the value of the real and personal
21        property does not exceed $15,000, the fee shall be $40.
22            (B) When (i) proof of heirship alone is made, (ii)
23        a domestic or foreign will is admitted to probate
24        without administration (including proof of heirship),
25        or (iii) letters of office are issued for a particular
26        purpose without administration of the estate, the fee

 

 

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1        shall be $40.
2            (C) For filing a petition to sell real estate, $50.
3        (2) For administration of the estate of a ward that
4    results in the appointment of the Office of State Guardian,
5    the fee shall be $250, plus the fees specified in paragraph
6    (3).
7        (3) In addition to the fees payable under paragraphs
8    (1) or (2) of this subsection (b), the following fees are
9    payable:
10            (A) For each account (other than one final account)
11        filed in the estate of a decedent, or ward, the fee
12        shall be $25.
13            (B) For filing a claim in an estate when the amount
14        claimed is $150 or more but less than $500, the fee
15        shall be $25; when the amount claimed is $500 or more
16        but less than $10,000, the fee shall be $40; when the
17        amount claimed is $10,000 or more, the fee shall be
18        $60; provided that the court in allowing a claim may
19        add to the amount allowed the filing fee paid by the
20        claimant.
21            (C) For filing in an estate a claim, petition, or
22        supplemental proceeding based upon an action seeking
23        equitable relief including the construction or contest
24        of a will, enforcement of a contract to make a will,
25        and proceedings involving a testamentary trust or the
26        appointment of a testamentary trustee, the fee shall be

 

 

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1        $60.
2            (D) For filing in an estate (i) the appearance of
3        any person for the purpose of consent or (ii) the
4        appearance of an executor, administrator,
5        administrator to collect, guardian, guardian ad litem,
6        or special administrator, no fee.
7            (E) Except as provided in subparagraph (D) of this
8        paragraph (3), for filing the appearance of any person
9        or persons, the fee shall be $30.
10            (F) For each jury demand, the fee shall be $137.50.
11            (G) For disposition of the collection of a judgment
12        or settlement of an action or claim for wrongful death
13        of a decedent or of any cause of action of a ward, when
14        there is no other administration of the estate, the fee
15        shall be $50, less any amount paid under subparagraph
16        (B) of paragraph (1) or subparagraph (B) of paragraph
17        (3) except that if the amount involved does not exceed
18        $5,000, the fee, including any amount paid under
19        subparagraph (B) of paragraph (1) or subparagraph (B)
20        of paragraph (3), shall be $20.
21        (4) The guardianship and advocacy operations fees, as
22    outlined in this Section, shall be in addition to all other
23    fees and charges and assessable as costs and shall not be
24    subject to disbursement under Section 27.5 or 27.6 of this
25    Act. Twenty percent of the fee shall be retained by the
26    clerk to defray costs of collection and 80% of the fee

 

 

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1    shall be disbursed within 60 days after receipt by the
2    circuit clerk to the State Treasurer for deposit by the
3    State Treasurer into the Guardianship and Advocacy Fund.
 
4    Section 15. The Probate Act of 1975 is amended by changing
5Sections 11a-12, 13-1, and 13-5 and by adding Section 13-1.3 as
6follows:
 
7    (755 ILCS 5/11a-12)  (from Ch. 110 1/2, par. 11a-12)
8    Sec. 11a-12. Order of appointment.)
9    (a) If basis for the appointment of a guardian as specified
10in Section 11a-3 is not found, the court shall dismiss the
11petition. If a basis for the appointment of a guardian is
12found, the court shall issue orders that implement the least
13restrictive alternative, maximize the alleged disabled
14person's right to self-determination and autonomy, and
15exercise authority only to the extent necessitated by the
16alleged disabled person's limitations. In determining the
17least restrictive alternative, the court shall consider
18options that allow the ward to live, learn, and work in a
19setting that places as few limits as possible on the ward's
20rights and personal freedom as appropriate to meet the needs of
21the ward.
22    (b) If the respondent is adjudged to be disabled and to
23lack some but not all of the be totally without capacity as
24specified in Section 11a-3, and if the court finds that limited

 

 

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1guardianship is necessary for the protection of will not
2provide sufficient protection for the disabled person, his or
3her estate, or both, the court shall appoint a limited plenary
4guardian of for the respondent's person or estate or both. The
5court shall enter a written order stating the factual basis for
6its findings and specifying the duties and powers of the
7guardian and the legal disabilities to which the respondent is
8subject. Where guardianship is found to be necessary, the court
9shall ensure that limited guardianship is strongly favored and
10that plenary guardianship is applied only as a last resort,
11consistent with subsection (c).
12    (c) If the respondent is adjudged to be disabled and to be
13totally without lack some but not all of the capacity as
14specified in Section 11a-3, and if the court finds that limited
15guardianship will not provide sufficient is necessary for the
16protection for of the disabled person, his or her estate, or
17both, the court shall appoint a plenary limited guardian for of
18the respondent's person or estate or both. The court shall
19enter a written order stating the factual basis for its
20findings and specifying the duties and powers of the guardian
21and the legal disabilities to which the respondent is subject.
22    (d) The selection of the guardian shall be in the
23discretion of the court, which shall give due consideration to
24the preference of the disabled person as to a guardian, as well
25as the qualifications of the proposed guardian, in making its
26appointment.

 

 

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1(Source: P.A. 89-396, eff. 8-20-95.)
 
2    (755 ILCS 5/13-1)  (from Ch. 110 1/2, par. 13-1)
3    Sec. 13-1. Appointment and term of public administrator and
4public guardian.) Except as provided in Sections Section 13-1.1
5and 13-1.3, before the first Monday of December, 1977 and every
64 years thereafter, and as often as vacancies occur, the
7Governor, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate,
8shall appoint in each county a suitable person to serve as
9public administrator and a suitable person to serve as public
10guardian of the county. The Governor may appoint the same
11person to serve as public guardian and public administrator in
12one or more counties. In considering the number of counties of
13service for any prospective public guardian or public
14administrator the Governor may consider the population of the
15county and the ability of the prospective public guardian or
16public administrator to travel to multiple counties and manage
17estates in multiple counties. Each person so appointed holds
18his office for 4 years from the first Monday of December, 1977
19and every 4 years thereafter or until his successor is
20appointed and qualified.
21(Source: P.A. 96-752, eff. 1-1-10.)
 
22    (755 ILCS 5/13-1.3 new)
23    Sec. 13-1.3. Transition to Office of State Guardian. In
24counties having a population of 1,000,000 or less, and in which

 

 

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1there is no currently serving public guardian or in which there
2is a public guardian serving under an expired term of office,
3the Governor shall, within 90 days after the effective date of
4this amendatory Act of the 97th General Assembly, appoint the
5Office of State Guardian the public guardian. Subsequently, in
6counties having a population of 1,000,000 or less and upon the
7expiration of the public guardian's term, the State Guardian
8shall be appointed the public guardian. The State Guardian
9appointed as public guardian shall serve continuously and not
10be subject to 4 year terms of appointment. In cases in which
11the State Guardian serves as public guardian, the State
12Guardian shall assume only the duties described in Sections 30
13and 32 of the Guardianship and Advocacy Act and shall be
14otherwise subject to the provisions of the Guardianship and
15Advocacy Act and not this Article XIII.
 
16    (755 ILCS 5/13-5)  (from Ch. 110 1/2, par. 13-5)
17    Sec. 13-5. Powers and duties of public guardian.) The court
18may appoint the public guardian as the guardian of any disabled
19adult who is in need of a public guardian and whose estate
20exceeds $100,000 in counties having a population in excess of
211,000,000 $25,000. When a disabled adult who has a smaller
22estate is in need of guardianship services in counties having a
23population in excess of 1,000,000, the court shall appoint the
24State guardian pursuant to Section 30 of the Guardianship and
25Advocacy Act. If the public guardian is appointed guardian of a

 

 

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1disabled adult and the estate of the disabled adult is
2thereafter reduced to less than $100,000 $25,000, the court
3may, upon the petition of the public guardian and the approval
4by the court of a final accounting of the disabled adult's
5estate, discharge the public guardian and transfer the
6guardianship to the State guardian. The public guardian shall
7serve not less than 14 days' notice to the State guardian of
8the hearing date regarding the transfer. When appointed by the
9court, the public guardian has the same powers and duties as
10other guardians appointed under this Act, with the following
11additions and modifications:
12    (a) The public guardian shall monitor the ward and his care
13and progress on a continuous basis. Monitoring shall at minimum
14consist of monthly contact with the ward, and the receipt of
15periodic reports from all individuals and agencies, public or
16private, providing care or related services to the ward.
17    (b) Placement of a ward outside of the ward's home may be
18made only after the public guardian or his representative has
19visited the facility in which placement is proposed.
20    (c) The public guardian shall prepare an inventory of the
21ward's belongings and assets and shall maintain insurance on
22all of the ward's real and personal property. No personal
23property shall be removed from the ward's possession except for
24storage pending final placement or for liquidation in
25accordance with this Act.
26    (d) The public guardian shall make no substantial

 

 

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1distribution of the ward's estate without a court order.
2    (e) The public guardian may liquidate assets of the ward to
3pay for the costs of the ward's care and for storage of the
4ward's personal property only after notice of such pending
5action is given to all potential heirs at law, unless notice is
6waived by the court; provided, however, that a person who has
7been so notified may elect to pay for care or storage or to pay
8fair market value of the asset or assets sought to be sold in
9lieu of liquidation.
10    (f) Real property of the ward may be sold at fair market
11value after an appraisal of the property has been made by a
12licensed appraiser; provided, however, that the ward's
13residence may be sold only if the court finds that the ward is
14not likely to be able to return home at a future date.
15    (g) The public guardian shall, at such intervals as the
16court may direct, submit to the court an affidavit setting
17forth in detail the services he has provided for the benefit of
18the ward.
19    (h) Upon the death of the ward, the public guardian shall
20turn over to the court-appointed administrator all of the
21ward's assets and an account of his receipt and administration
22of the ward's property. A guardian ad litem shall be appointed
23for an accounting when the estate exceeds the amount set in
24Section 25-1 of this Act for administration of small estates.
25    (i)(1) On petition of any person who appears to have an
26interest in the estate, the court by temporary order may

 

 

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1restrain the public guardian from performing specified acts of
2administration, disbursement or distribution, or from exercise
3of any powers or discharge of any duties of his office, or make
4any other order to secure proper performance of his duty, if it
5appears to the court that the public guardian might otherwise
6take some action contrary to the best interests of the ward.
7Persons with whom the public guardian may transact business may
8be made parties.
9    (2) The matter shall be set for hearing within 10 days
10unless the parties otherwise agree or unless for good cause
11shown the court determines that additional time is required.
12Notice as the court directs shall be given to the public
13guardian and his attorney of record, if any, and to any other
14parties named defendant in the petition.
15    (j) On petition of the public guardian, the court in its
16discretion may for good cause shown transfer guardianship to
17the State guardian.
18    (k) No later than January 31 of each year, the public
19guardian shall file an annual report with the clerk of the
20Circuit Court, indicating, with respect to the period covered
21by the report, the number of cases which he has handled, the
22date on which each case was assigned, the date of termination
23of each case which has been closed during the period, the
24disposition of each terminated case, and the total amount of
25fees collected during the period from each ward.
26    (l) (Blank).

 

 

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1(Source: P.A. 96-752, eff. 1-1-10.)

 

 

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1 INDEX
2 Statutes amended in order of appearance
3    20 ILCS 3955/31from Ch. 91 1/2, par. 731
4    20 ILCS 3955/32from Ch. 91 1/2, par. 732
5    705 ILCS 105/27.3f new
6    755 ILCS 5/11a-12from Ch. 110 1/2, par. 11a-12
7    755 ILCS 5/13-1from Ch. 110 1/2, par. 13-1
8    755 ILCS 5/13-1.3 new
9    755 ILCS 5/13-5from Ch. 110 1/2, par. 13-5