Sen. Ira I. Silverstein

Filed: 2/28/2013

 

 


 

 


 
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1
AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 1612

2    AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend Senate Bill 1612 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 may 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
11may 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-12, 11a-17, and 11a-21 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 an

 

 

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

 

 

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1paragraph (6) of subsection (a) of this Section.
2(Source: P.A. 94-579, eff. 8-12-05.)
 
3    (755 ILCS 5/11a-12)  (from Ch. 110 1/2, par. 11a-12)
4    Sec. 11a-12. Order of appointment.)
5    (a) If basis for the appointment of a guardian as specified
6in Section 11a-3 is not found, the court shall dismiss the
7petition.
8    (b) If the respondent is adjudged to be disabled and to
9lack some but not all of the capacity as specified in Section
1011a-3, and if the court finds that guardianship is necessary
11for the protection of the disabled person, his or her estate,
12or both, the court shall appoint a limited guardian for the
13respondent's person or estate or both. The court shall enter a
14written order stating the factual basis for its findings and
15specifying the duties and powers of the guardian and the legal
16disabilities to which the respondent is subject.
17    (c) If the respondent is adjudged to be disabled and to be
18totally without capacity as specified in Section 11a-3, and if
19the court finds that limited guardianship will not provide
20sufficient protection for the disabled person, his or her
21estate, or both, the court shall appoint a plenary guardian for
22the respondent's person or estate or both. The court shall
23enter a written order stating the factual basis for its
24findings.
25    (d) The selection of the guardian shall be in the

 

 

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1discretion of the court, which shall give due consideration to
2the preference of the disabled person as to a guardian, as well
3as the qualifications of the proposed guardian, in making its
4appointment. A proposed guardian shall complete, prior to a
5limited or plenary guardianship appointment, a training
6program for guardians as provided in subdivision (a)(6) of
7Section 11a-5 of this Act. The court may make a limited or
8plenary guardianship appointment conditional on the proposed
9guardian's completion of the training program.
10(Source: P.A. 97-1093, eff. 1-1-13.)
 
11    (755 ILCS 5/11a-17)  (from Ch. 110 1/2, par. 11a-17)
12    Sec. 11a-17. Duties of personal guardian.
13    (a) To the extent ordered by the court and under the
14direction of the court, the guardian of the person shall have
15custody of the ward and the ward's minor and adult dependent
16children and shall procure for them and shall make provision
17for their support, care, comfort, health, education and
18maintenance, and professional services as are appropriate, but
19the ward's spouse may not be deprived of the custody and
20education of the ward's minor and adult dependent children,
21without the consent of the spouse, unless the court finds that
22the spouse is not a fit and competent person to have that
23custody and education. The guardian shall assist the ward in
24the development of maximum self-reliance and independence. The
25guardian of the person may petition the court for an order

 

 

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1directing the guardian of the estate to pay an amount
2periodically for the provision of the services specified by the
3court order. If the ward's estate is insufficient to provide
4for education and the guardian of the ward's person fails to
5provide education, the court may award the custody of the ward
6to some other person for the purpose of providing education. If
7a person makes a settlement upon or provision for the support
8or education of a ward, the court may make an order for the
9visitation of the ward by the person making the settlement or
10provision as the court deems proper. A guardian of the person
11may not admit a ward to a mental health facility except at the
12ward's request as provided in Article IV of the Mental Health
13and Developmental Disabilities Code and unless the ward has the
14capacity to consent to such admission as provided in Article IV
15of the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code.
16    (a-5) If the ward filed a petition for dissolution of
17marriage under the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of
18Marriage Act before the ward was adjudicated a disabled person
19under this Article, the guardian of the ward's person and
20estate may maintain that action for dissolution of marriage on
21behalf of the ward.
22    (b) If the court directs, the guardian of the person shall
23file with the court at intervals indicated by the court, a
24report that shall state briefly: (1) the current mental,
25physical, and social condition of the ward and the ward's minor
26and adult dependent children; (2) their present living

 

 

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1arrangement, and a description and the address of every
2residence where they lived during the reporting period and the
3length of stay at each place; (3) a summary of the medical,
4educational, vocational, and other professional services given
5to them; (4) a resume of the guardian's visits with and
6activities on behalf of the ward and the ward's minor and adult
7dependent children; (5) a recommendation as to the need for
8continued guardianship; (6) any other information requested by
9the court or useful in the opinion of the guardian. The Office
10of the State Guardian shall assist the guardian in filing the
11report when requested by the guardian. The court may take such
12action as it deems appropriate pursuant to the report.
13    (c) Absent court order pursuant to the Illinois Power of
14Attorney Act directing a guardian to exercise powers of the
15principal under an agency that survives disability, the
16guardian has no power, duty, or liability with respect to any
17personal or health care matters covered by the agency. This
18subsection (c) applies to all agencies, whenever and wherever
19executed.
20    (d) A guardian acting as a surrogate decision maker under
21the Health Care Surrogate Act shall have all the rights of a
22surrogate under that Act without court order including the
23right to make medical treatment decisions such as decisions to
24forgo or withdraw life-sustaining treatment. Any decisions by
25the guardian to forgo or withdraw life-sustaining treatment
26that are not authorized under the Health Care Surrogate Act

 

 

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1shall require a court order. Nothing in this Section shall
2prevent an agent acting under a power of attorney for health
3care from exercising his or her authority under the Illinois
4Power of Attorney Act without further court order, unless a
5court has acted under Section 2-10 of the Illinois Power of
6Attorney Act. If a guardian is also a health care agent for the
7ward under a valid power of attorney for health care, the
8guardian acting as agent may execute his or her authority under
9that act without further court order.
10    (e) Decisions made by a guardian on behalf of a ward shall
11be made in accordance with the following standards for decision
12making. Decisions made by a guardian on behalf of a ward may be
13made by conforming as closely as possible to what the ward, if
14competent, would have done or intended under the circumstances,
15taking into account evidence that includes, but is not limited
16to, the ward's personal, philosophical, religious and moral
17beliefs, and ethical values relative to the decision to be made
18by the guardian. Where possible, the guardian shall determine
19how the ward would have made a decision based on the ward's
20previously expressed preferences, and make decisions in
21accordance with the preferences of the ward. If the ward's
22wishes are unknown and remain unknown after reasonable efforts
23to discern them, the decision shall be made on the basis of the
24ward's best interests as determined by the guardian. In
25determining the ward's best interests, the guardian shall weigh
26the reason for and nature of the proposed action, the benefit

 

 

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1or necessity of the action, the possible risks and other
2consequences of the proposed action, and any available
3alternatives and their risks, consequences and benefits, and
4shall take into account any other information, including the
5views of family and friends, that the guardian believes the
6ward would have considered if able to act for herself or
7himself.
8    (f) Upon petition by any interested person (including the
9standby or short-term guardian), with such notice to interested
10persons as the court directs and a finding by the court that it
11is in the best interest of the disabled person, the court may
12terminate or limit the authority of a standby or short-term
13guardian or may enter such other orders as the court deems
14necessary to provide for the best interest of the disabled
15person. The petition for termination or limitation of the
16authority of a standby or short-term guardian may, but need
17not, be combined with a petition to have another guardian
18appointed for the disabled person.
19    (g) A guardian of the person shall complete, prior to a
20limited or plenary guardianship appointment, a training
21program for guardians as provided in subdivision (a)(6) of
22Section 11a-5 of this Act.
23(Source: P.A. 96-612, eff. 1-1-10.)
 
24    (755 ILCS 5/11a-21)  (from Ch. 110 1/2, par. 11a-21)
25    Sec. 11a-21. Hearing. (a) The court shall conduct a hearing

 

 

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1on a petition filed under Section 11a-20. The ward is entitled
2to be represented by counsel, to demand a jury of 6 persons, to
3present evidence and to confront and cross-examine all
4witnesses. The court (1) may appoint counsel for the ward, if
5the court finds that the interests of the ward will be best
6served by the appointment and (2) shall appoint counsel upon
7the ward's request or if the respondent takes a position
8adverse to that of the guardian ad litem. The court may allow
9the guardian ad litem and counsel for the ward reasonable
10compensation.
11    (b) If the ward is unable to pay the fee of the guardian ad
12litem or appointed counsel, or both, the court shall enter an
13order upon the State to pay, from funds appropriated by the
14General Assembly for that purpose, all such fees or such
15amounts as the ward is unable to pay.
16    (c) Upon conclusion of the hearing, the court shall enter
17an order setting forth the factual basis for its findings and
18may: (1) dismiss the petition; (2) terminate the adjudication
19of disability; (3) revoke the letters of guardianship of the
20estate or person, or both; (4) modify the duties of the
21guardian; and (5) require the guardian to complete a training
22program as provided in subdivision (a)(6) of Section 11a-5 of
23this Act; and (6) make any other order which the court deems
24appropriate and in the interests of the ward.
25(Source: P.A. 81-1509.)
 

 

 

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1    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect one year
2after becoming law.".