HB5288 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB104 18232 JRC 31671 b

104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
HB5288

Introduced 2/10/2026, by Rep. William "Will" Davis - Michael Crawford

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

755 ILCS 5/11a-17

from Ch. 110 1/2, par. 11a-17

Amends the Probate Act of 1975. Provides that an individual under guardianship who understands the nature, effect, duties, and obligations of marriage does not lose the right to marry without the prior consent of the individual, the guardian, or authorization of the court with some exceptions. Allows a court to remove the right to marry if removal is included as requested relief in a petition for a limited or plenary guardian or upon application of the guardian, and the court finds by clear and convincing evidence after an evidentiary hearing that the individual lacks the capacity to understand the nature, effect, duties, and obligations of a decision to marry. Provides conditions in which an individual from whom the right to marry has been removed may nonetheless marry. Provides that a marriage entered into by one or more individuals from whom the right to marry has been removed is void with some exceptions. Permits a guardian to contest the validity of a marriage under the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning civil law.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Probate Act of 1975 is amended by changing Section 11a-17 as follows:

(755 ILCS 5/11a-17) (from Ch. 110 1/2, par. 11a-17)

Sec. 11a-17. Duties of personal guardian.

(a) To the extent ordered by the court and under the direction of the court, the guardian of the person shall have custody of the ward and the ward's minor and adult dependent children and shall procure for them and shall make provision for their support, care, comfort, health, education and maintenance, and professional services as are appropriate, but the ward's spouse may not be deprived of the custody and education of the ward's minor and adult dependent children, without the consent of the spouse, unless the court finds that the spouse is not a fit and competent person to have that custody and education. The guardian shall assist the ward in the development of maximum self-reliance and independence. The guardian of the person may petition the court for an order directing the guardian of the estate to pay an amount periodically for the provision of the services specified by the court order. If the ward's estate is insufficient to provide for education and the guardian of the ward's person fails to provide education, the court may award the custody of the ward to some other person for the purpose of providing education. If a person makes a settlement upon or provision for the support or education of a ward, the court may make an order for the visitation of the ward by the person making the settlement or provision as the court deems proper. A guardian of the person may not admit a ward to a mental health facility except at the ward's request as provided in Article IV of the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code and unless the ward has the capacity to consent to such admission as provided in Article IV of the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code.

(a-3) If a guardian of an estate has not been appointed, the guardian of the person may, without an order of court, open, maintain, and transfer funds to an ABLE account on behalf of the ward and the ward's minor and adult dependent children as specified under Section 16.6 of the State Treasurer Act.

(a-5) If the ward filed a petition for dissolution of marriage under the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act before the ward was adjudicated a person with a disability under this Article, the guardian of the ward's person and estate may maintain that action for dissolution of marriage on behalf of the ward. Upon petition by the guardian of the ward's person or estate, the court may authorize and direct a guardian of the ward's person or estate to file a petition for dissolution of marriage or to file a petition for legal separation or declaration of invalidity of marriage under the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act on behalf of the ward if the court finds by clear and convincing evidence that the relief sought is in the ward's best interests. In making its determination, the court shall consider the standards set forth in subsection (e) of this Section.

(a-10) Except as provided in this subsection, an individual under guardianship who understands the nature, effect, duties, and obligations of marriage does not lose the right to marry and may marry without the prior consent of the individual's guardian or authorization of the court.

(a-15) A court may remove the right to marry if:

(1) removal of the individual's right to marry is included as requested relief in a petition for a limited or plenary guardian or upon application of the guardian; and

(2) the court finds by clear and convincing evidence after an evidentiary hearing that the individual lacks the capacity to understand the nature, effect, duties, and obligations of a decision to marry.

(a-20) An individual from whom the right to marry has been removed may nonetheless marry:

(1) with the consent of the guardian, without the necessity of court authorization; or

(2) upon petition by the individual or the individual's guardian of the person or estate, the court may direct a guardian of the person or estate to consent, on behalf of the individual, to the individual's marriage. The court shall direct the guardian to consent to the marriage unless, considering the expressed preferences of the individual, the court finds by clear and convincing evidence that the individual:

(A) currently lacks the capacity to understand the nature, effect, duties, and obligations of marriage; and

(B) entering into marriage is contrary to the individual's best interests.

(a-25) Any marriage entered into by one or more individuals from whom the right to marriage had been removed at the time of the marriage is void unless:

(1) the guardian files a notice with the court indicating that the guardian consents to the marriage;

(2) the right to marriage is restored to an individual from whom it had been removed and the individual files a notice with the court ratifying the decision to marry; or

(3) upon petition by the individual, the individual's guardian of the person or estate, or the putative spouse, the court enters an order ratifying the decision to marry. The court shall ratify the decision to marry unless, considering the expressed preferences of the individual, the court finds by clear and convincing evidence that the individual:

(A) currently lacks the capacity to understand the nature, effect, duties, and obligations of marriage; and

(B) entering into marriage is contrary to the individual's best interests.

(a-30) A guardian may contest the validity of a marriage under Sections 301 and 302 of the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act.

(a-35) The county clerk shall issue a license to marry under subsection (a-25) by accepting the guardian's application, appearance, and signature on behalf of the individual under guardianship or upon presentation of a court order authorizing and directing the guardian to consent to a marriage.

Upon petition by the guardian of the ward's person or estate, the court may authorize and direct a guardian of the ward's person or estate to consent, on behalf of the ward, to the ward's marriage pursuant to Part II of the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act if the court finds by clear and convincing evidence that the marriage is in the ward's best interests. In making its determination, the court shall consider the standards set forth in subsection (e) of this Section. Upon presentation of a court order authorizing and directing a guardian of the ward's person and estate to consent to the ward's marriage, the county clerk shall accept the guardian's application, appearance, and signature on behalf of the ward for purposes of issuing a license to marry under Section 203 of the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act.

(b) If the court directs, the guardian of the person shall file with the court at intervals indicated by the court, a report that shall state briefly: (1) the current mental, physical, and social condition of the ward and the ward's minor and adult dependent children; (2) their present living arrangement, and a description and the address of every residence where they lived during the reporting period and the length of stay at each place; (3) a summary of the medical, educational, vocational, and other professional services given to them; (4) a resume of the guardian's visits with and activities on behalf of the ward and the ward's minor and adult dependent children; (5) a recommendation as to the need for continued guardianship; (6) any other information requested by the court or useful in the opinion of the guardian. The Office of the State Guardian shall assist the guardian in filing the report when requested by the guardian. The court may take such action as it deems appropriate pursuant to the report.

(c) Absent court order pursuant to the Illinois Power of Attorney Act directing a guardian to exercise powers of the principal under an agency that survives disability, the guardian has no power, duty, or liability with respect to any personal or health care matters covered by the agency. This subsection (c) applies to all agencies, whenever and wherever executed.

(d) A guardian acting as a surrogate decision maker under the Health Care Surrogate Act shall have all the rights of a surrogate under that Act without court order including the right to make medical treatment decisions such as decisions to forgo or withdraw life-sustaining treatment. Any decisions by the guardian to forgo or withdraw life-sustaining treatment that are not authorized under the Health Care Surrogate Act shall require a court order. Nothing in this Section shall prevent an agent acting under a power of attorney for health care from exercising his or her authority under the Illinois Power of Attorney Act without further court order, unless a court has acted under Section 2-10 of the Illinois Power of Attorney Act. If a guardian is also a health care agent for the ward under a valid power of attorney for health care, the guardian acting as agent may execute his or her authority under that act without further court order.

(e) Decisions made by a guardian on behalf of a ward shall be made in accordance with the following standards for decision making. The 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. Decisions by the guardian shall conform to the ward's current preferences: (1) unless the guardian reasonably believes that doing so would result in substantial harm to the ward's welfare or personal or financial interests; and (2) so long as such decisions give substantial weight to what the ward, if competent, would have done or intended under the circumstances, taking into account evidence that includes, but is not limited to, the ward's personal, philosophical, religious and moral beliefs, and ethical values relative to the decision to be made by the guardian. Where possible, the guardian shall determine how the ward would have made a decision based on the ward's previously expressed preferences, and make decisions in accordance with the preferences of the ward. If the ward's wishes are unknown and remain unknown after reasonable efforts to discern them, or if the guardian reasonably believes that a decision made in conformity with the ward's preferences would result in substantial harm to the ward's welfare or personal or financial interests, the decision shall be made on the basis of the ward's best interests as determined by the guardian. In determining the ward's best interests, the guardian shall weigh the reason for and nature of the proposed action, the benefit or necessity of the action, the possible risks and other consequences of the proposed action, and any available alternatives and their risks, consequences and benefits, and shall take into account any other information, including the views of family and friends, that the guardian believes the ward would have considered if able to act for herself or himself.

(f) Upon petition by any interested person (including the standby or short-term guardian), with such notice to interested persons as the court directs and a finding by the court that it is in the best interests of the person with a disability, the court may terminate or limit the authority of a standby or short-term guardian or may enter such other orders as the court deems necessary to provide for the best interests of the person with a disability. The petition for termination or limitation of the authority of a standby or short-term guardian may, but need not, be combined with a petition to have another guardian appointed for the person with a disability.

(g)(1) Unless there is a court order to the contrary, the guardian, consistent with the standards set forth in subsection (e) of this Section, shall use reasonable efforts to notify the ward's known adult children, who have requested notification and provided contact information, of the ward's admission to a hospital, hospice, or palliative care program, the ward's death, and the arrangements for the disposition of the ward's remains.

(2) If a guardian unreasonably prevents an adult child, spouse, adult grandchild, parent, or adult sibling of the ward from visiting the ward, the court, upon a verified petition, may order the guardian to permit visitation between the ward and the adult child, spouse, adult grandchild, parent, or adult sibling. In making its determination, the court shall consider the standards set forth in subsection (e) of this Section. The court shall not allow visitation if the court finds that the ward has capacity to evaluate and communicate decisions regarding visitation and expresses a desire not to have visitation with the petitioner. This subsection (g) does not apply to duly appointed public guardians or the Office of State Guardian.

(Source: P.A. 101-329, eff. 8-9-19; 102-72, eff. 1-1-22; 102-258, eff. 8-6-21; 102-813, eff. 5-13-22.)