Sen. Ira I. Silverstein

Filed: 4/17/2014

 

 


 

 


 
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1
AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 1046

2    AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend Senate Bill 1046 by replacing
3everything after the enacting clause with the following:
 
4    "Section 5. The Guardianship and Advocacy Act is amended by
5adding Section 33.5 as follows:
 
6    (20 ILCS 3955/33.5 new)
7    Sec. 33.5. Guardianship training program. The State
8Guardian shall provide a training program that outlines the
9duties and responsibilities of guardians appointed under
10Article XIa of the Probate Act of 1975. The training program
11shall be offered to courts at no cost, and shall outline the
12responsibilities of guardians and the rights of disabled
13persons in guardianships under Article XIa of the Probate Act
14of 1975. In developing the training program content, the State
15Guardian may consult with the courts, State and national
16guardianship organizations, public guardians, advocacy

 

 

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1organizations, and persons and family members with direct
2experience with adult guardianship.
 
3    Section 10. The Probate Act of 1975 is amended by changing
4Sections 11a-5, 11a-21, 13-1, and 13-1.2 as follows:
 
5    (755 ILCS 5/11a-5)  (from Ch. 110 1/2, par. 11a-5)
6    Sec. 11a-5. Who may act as guardian.
7    (a) A person is qualified to act as guardian of the person
8and as guardian of the estate of a disabled person if the court
9finds that the proposed guardian is capable of providing an
10active and suitable program of guardianship for the disabled
11person and that the proposed guardian:
12        (1) has attained the age of 18 years;
13        (2) is a resident of the United States;
14        (3) is not of unsound mind;
15        (4) is not an adjudged disabled person as defined in
16    this Act; and
17        (5) has not been convicted of a felony, unless the
18    court finds appointment of the person convicted of a felony
19    to be in the disabled person's best interests, and as part
20    of the best interest determination, the court has
21    considered the nature of the offense, the date of offense,
22    and the evidence of the proposed guardian's
23    rehabilitation. No person shall be appointed who has been
24    convicted of a felony involving harm or threat to a minor

 

 

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1    or an elderly or disabled person, including a felony sexual
2    offense; and .
3        (6) has completed a training program, developed by the
4    State Guardian in accordance with Section 33.5 of the
5    Guardianship and Advocacy Act or by another suitable
6    provider approved by the court, that outlines the
7    responsibilities of guardians and the rights of disabled
8    persons, and has been made available at no cost by the
9    court or another suitable provider approved by the court.
10    (b) Any public agency, or not-for-profit corporation found
11capable by the court of providing an active and suitable
12program of guardianship for the disabled person, taking into
13consideration the nature of such person's disability and the
14nature of such organization's services, may be appointed
15guardian of the person or of the estate, or both, of the
16disabled person. The court shall not appoint as guardian an
17agency which is directly providing residential services to the
18ward. One person or agency may be appointed guardian of the
19person and another person or agency appointed guardian of the
20estate.
21    (c) Any corporation qualified to accept and execute trusts
22in this State may be appointed guardian of the estate of a
23disabled person.
24    (d) Public guardians, state guardians, attorneys currently
25authorized to practice law, and persons who are certified as
26National Certified Guardians by the Center for Guardianship

 

 

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1Certification are exempt from the training requirement under
2paragraph (6) of subsection (a) of this Section.
3(Source: P.A. 98-120, eff. 1-1-14.)
 
4    (755 ILCS 5/11a-21)  (from Ch. 110 1/2, par. 11a-21)
5    Sec. 11a-21. Hearing. (a) The court shall conduct a hearing
6on a petition filed under Section 11a-20. The ward is entitled
7to be represented by counsel, to demand a jury of 6 persons, to
8present evidence and to confront and cross-examine all
9witnesses. The court (1) may appoint counsel for the ward, if
10the court finds that the interests of the ward will be best
11served by the appointment and (2) shall appoint counsel upon
12the ward's request or if the respondent takes a position
13adverse to that of the guardian ad litem. The court may allow
14the guardian ad litem and counsel for the ward reasonable
15compensation.
16    (b) If the ward is unable to pay the fee of the guardian ad
17litem or appointed counsel, or both, the court shall enter an
18order upon the State to pay, from funds appropriated by the
19General Assembly for that purpose, all such fees or such
20amounts as the ward is unable to pay.
21    (c) Upon conclusion of the hearing, the court shall enter
22an order setting forth the factual basis for its findings and
23may: (1) dismiss the petition; (2) terminate the adjudication
24of disability; (3) revoke the letters of guardianship of the
25estate or person, or both; (4) modify the duties of the

 

 

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1guardian; and (5) require the guardian to complete a training
2program as provided in subdivision (a)(6) of Section 11a-5 of
3this Act; and (6) make any other order which the court deems
4appropriate and in the interests of the ward.
5(Source: P.A. 81-1509.)
 
6    (755 ILCS 5/13-1)  (from Ch. 110 1/2, par. 13-1)
7    Sec. 13-1. Appointment and term of public administrator and
8public guardian.) Except as provided in Section 13-1.1, before
9the first Monday of December, 1977 and every 4 years
10thereafter, and as often as vacancies occur, the Governor, by
11and with the advice and consent of the Senate, shall appoint in
12each county a suitable person to serve as public administrator
13and a suitable person to serve as public guardian of the
14county. The Governor may designate, without the advice and
15consent of the Senate, the Office of State Guardian as an
16interim public guardian to fill a vacancy in one or more
17counties. When appointed as an interim public guardian, the
18State Guardian will perform the powers and duties assigned
19under the Guardianship and Advocacy Act. The Governor may
20appoint the same person to serve as public guardian and public
21administrator in one or more counties. In considering the
22number of counties of service for any prospective public
23guardian or public administrator the Governor may consider the
24population of the county and the ability of the prospective
25public guardian or public administrator to travel to multiple

 

 

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1counties and manage estates in multiple counties. Each person
2so appointed holds his office for 4 years from the first Monday
3of December, 1977 and every 4 years thereafter or until his
4successor is appointed and qualified.
5(Source: P.A. 96-752, eff. 1-1-10.)
 
6    (755 ILCS 5/13-1.2)
7    Sec. 13-1.2. Certification requirement. Each person
8appointed as a public guardian by the Governor shall be
9certified as a National Certified Guardian by the Center for
10Guardianship Certification within 6 months after his or her
11appointment. The Guardianship and Advocacy Commission shall
12provide public guardians with information about certification
13requirements and procedures for testing and certification
14offered by professional training opportunities and facilitate
15testing and certification opportunities at locations in
16Springfield and Chicago with the Center for Guardianship
17Certification. The cost of certification shall be considered an
18expense connected with the operation of the public guardian's
19office within the meaning of subsection (b) of Section 13-3.1
20of this Article.
21(Source: P.A. 96-752, eff. 1-1-10.)
 
22    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect one year
23after becoming law.".