101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2019 and 2020
HB4562

 

Introduced 2/5/2020, by Rep. Thomas M. Bennett

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
755 ILCS 5/11a-17  from Ch. 110 1/2, par. 11a-17

    Amends the Guardians For Adults With Disabilities Article of the Probate Act of 1975. Provides that a guardian shall consider the ward's current preferences to the extent the ward has the ability to participate in decision making when those preferences are known or reasonably ascertainable by the guardian. Provides that decisions by the guardian shall conform to the ward's current preferences unless the guardian reasonably believes that doing so would result in substantial harm to the ward's welfare or personal or financial interests. Provides that if the guardian is unable to ascertain the ward's preferences, then the decisions may be made by conforming as closely as possible to what the ward would have done or intended under the circumstances. Makes conforming changes. Effective immediately.


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A BILL FOR

 

HB4562LRB101 17485 LNS 66895 b

1    AN ACT concerning civil law.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Probate Act of 1975 is amended by changing
5Section 11a-17 as follows:
 
6    (755 ILCS 5/11a-17)  (from Ch. 110 1/2, par. 11a-17)
7    Sec. 11a-17. Duties of personal guardian.
8    (a) To the extent ordered by the court and under the
9direction of the court, the guardian of the person shall have
10custody of the ward and the ward's minor and adult dependent
11children and shall procure for them and shall make provision
12for their support, care, comfort, health, education and
13maintenance, and professional services as are appropriate, but
14the ward's spouse may not be deprived of the custody and
15education of the ward's minor and adult dependent children,
16without the consent of the spouse, unless the court finds that
17the spouse is not a fit and competent person to have that
18custody and education. The guardian shall assist the ward in
19the development of maximum self-reliance and independence. The
20guardian of the person may petition the court for an order
21directing the guardian of the estate to pay an amount
22periodically for the provision of the services specified by the
23court order. If the ward's estate is insufficient to provide

 

 

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1for education and the guardian of the ward's person fails to
2provide education, the court may award the custody of the ward
3to some other person for the purpose of providing education. If
4a person makes a settlement upon or provision for the support
5or education of a ward, the court may make an order for the
6visitation of the ward by the person making the settlement or
7provision as the court deems proper. A guardian of the person
8may not admit a ward to a mental health facility except at the
9ward's request as provided in Article IV of the Mental Health
10and Developmental Disabilities Code and unless the ward has the
11capacity to consent to such admission as provided in Article IV
12of the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code.
13    (a-3) If a guardian of an estate has not been appointed,
14the guardian of the person may, without an order of court,
15open, maintain, and transfer funds to an ABLE account on behalf
16of the ward and the ward's minor and adult dependent children
17as specified under Section 16.6 of the State Treasurer Act.
18    (a-5) If the ward filed a petition for dissolution of
19marriage under the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of
20Marriage Act before the ward was adjudicated a person with a
21disability under this Article, the guardian of the ward's
22person and estate may maintain that action for dissolution of
23marriage on behalf of the ward. Upon petition by the guardian
24of the ward's person or estate, the court may authorize and
25direct a guardian of the ward's person or estate to file a
26petition for dissolution of marriage or to file a petition for

 

 

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1legal separation or declaration of invalidity of marriage under
2the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act on behalf
3of the ward if the court finds by clear and convincing evidence
4that the relief sought is in the ward's best interests. In
5making its determination, the court shall consider the
6standards set forth in subsection (e) of this Section.
7    (a-10) Upon petition by the guardian of the ward's person
8or estate, the court may authorize and direct a guardian of the
9ward's person or estate to consent, on behalf of the ward, to
10the ward's marriage pursuant to Part II of the Illinois
11Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act if the court finds by
12clear and convincing evidence that the marriage is in the
13ward's best interests. In making its determination, the court
14shall consider the standards set forth in subsection (e) of
15this Section. Upon presentation of a court order authorizing
16and directing a guardian of the ward's person and estate to
17consent to the ward's marriage, the county clerk shall accept
18the guardian's application, appearance, and signature on
19behalf of the ward for purposes of issuing a license to marry
20under Section 203 of the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of
21Marriage Act.
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. The guardian shall consider the ward's current
13preferences to the extent the ward has the ability to
14participate in decision making when those preferences are known
15or reasonably ascertainable by the guardian. Decisions by the
16guardian shall conform to the ward's current preferences unless
17the guardian reasonably believes that doing so would result in
18substantial harm to the ward's welfare or personal or financial
19interests. If the guardian is unable to ascertain the ward's
20preferences, then the decisions Decisions made by a guardian on
21behalf of a ward may be made by conforming as closely as
22possible to what the ward, if competent, would have done or
23intended under the circumstances, taking into account evidence
24that includes, but is not limited to, the ward's personal,
25philosophical, religious and moral beliefs, and ethical values
26relative to the decision to be made by the guardian. Where

 

 

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1possible, the guardian shall determine how the ward would have
2made a decision based on the ward's previously expressed
3preferences, and make decisions in accordance with the
4preferences of the ward. If the ward's wishes are unknown and
5remain unknown after reasonable efforts to discern them, or
6when the guardian reasonably believes that a decision made in
7conformity with the ward's preferences would result in
8substantial harm to the ward's welfare or personal or financial
9interests, the decision shall be made on the basis of the
10ward's best interests as determined by the guardian. In
11determining the ward's best interests, the guardian shall weigh
12the reason for and nature of the proposed action, the benefit
13or necessity of the action, the possible risks and other
14consequences of the proposed action, and any available
15alternatives and their risks, consequences and benefits, and
16shall take into account any other information, including the
17views of family and friends, that the guardian believes the
18ward would have considered if able to act for herself or
19himself.
20    (f) Upon petition by any interested person (including the
21standby or short-term guardian), with such notice to interested
22persons as the court directs and a finding by the court that it
23is in the best interest of the person with a disability, the
24court may terminate or limit the authority of a standby or
25short-term guardian or may enter such other orders as the court
26deems necessary to provide for the best interest of the person

 

 

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1with a disability. The petition for termination or limitation
2of the authority of a standby or short-term guardian may, but
3need not, be combined with a petition to have another guardian
4appointed for the person with a disability.
5    (g)(1) Unless there is a court order to the contrary, the
6guardian, consistent with the standards set forth in subsection
7(e) of this Section, shall use reasonable efforts to notify the
8ward's known adult children, who have requested notification
9and provided contact information, of the ward's admission to a
10hospital or hospice program, the ward's death, and the
11arrangements for the disposition of the ward's remains.
12    (2) If a guardian unreasonably prevents an adult child,
13spouse, adult grandchild, parent, or adult sibling of the ward
14from visiting the ward, the court, upon a verified petition,
15may order the guardian to permit visitation between the ward
16and the adult child, spouse, adult grandchild, parent, or adult
17sibling. In making its determination, the court shall consider
18the standards set forth in subsection (e) of this Section. The
19court shall not allow visitation if the court finds that the
20ward has capacity to evaluate and communicate decisions
21regarding visitation and expresses a desire not to have
22visitation with the petitioner. This subsection (g) does not
23apply to duly appointed public guardians or the Office of State
24Guardian.
25(Source: P.A. 100-1054, eff. 1-1-19; 101-329, eff. 8-9-19.)
 
26    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon

 

 

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1becoming law.