HB5071 93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB093 20158 LCB 45903 b

93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2003 and 2004
HB5071

Introduced 02/05/04, by Maria Antonia Berrios, Susana Mendoza, Paul D. Froehlich

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

755 ILCS 5/11-5

from Ch. 110 1/2, par. 11-5

Amends the Probate Act of 1975. Provides that the court shall not appoint as guardian of the person of the minor any person who has been the subject of an indicated report under Section 3 of the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act that has been confirmed by the Department of Children and Family Services. Effective January 1, 2005.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning estates.

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 11-5 as follows:

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

Sec. 11-5. Appointment of guardian.

(a) Upon the filing of a petition for the appointment of a guardian or on its own motion, the court may appoint a guardian of the estate or of both the person and estate, of a minor, or may appoint a guardian of the person only of a minor or minors, as the court finds to be in the best interest of the minor or minors.

(a-1) A parent, adoptive parent or adjudicated parent, whose parental rights have not been terminated, may designate in any writing, including a will, a person qualified to act under Section 11-3 to be appointed as guardian of the person or estate, or both, of an unmarried minor or of a child likely to be born. A parent, adoptive parent or adjudicated parent, whose parental rights have not been terminated, or a guardian or a standby guardian of an unmarried minor or of a child likely to be born may designate in any writing, including a will, a person qualified to act under Section 11-3 to be appointed as successor guardian of the minor's person or estate, or both. The designation must be witnessed by 2 or more credible witnesses at least 18 years of age, neither of whom is the person designated as the guardian. The designation may be proved by any competent evidence. If the designation is executed and attested in the same manner as a will, it shall have prima facie validity. The designation of a guardian or successor guardian does not affect the rights of the other parent in the minor.

(b) The court lacks jurisdiction to proceed on a petition for the appointment of a guardian of a minor if (i) the minor has a living parent, adoptive parent or adjudicated parent, whose parental rights have not been terminated, whose whereabouts are known, and who is willing and able to make and carry out day-to-day child care decisions concerning the minor, unless the parent or parents consent to the appointment or, after receiving notice of the hearing under Section 11-10.1, fail to object to the appointment at the hearing on the petition or (ii) there is a guardian for the minor appointed by a court of competent jurisdiction. There shall be a rebuttable presumption that a parent of a minor is willing and able to make and carry out day-to-day child care decisions concerning the minor, but the presumption may be rebutted by a preponderance of the evidence.

(b-1) If the court finds the appointment of a guardian of the minor to be in the best interest of the minor, and if a standby guardian has previously been appointed for the minor under Section 11-5.3, the court shall appoint the standby guardian as the guardian of the person or estate, or both, of the minor unless the court finds, upon good cause shown, that the appointment would no longer be in the best interest of the minor.

(c) If the minor is 14 years of age or more, the minor may nominate the guardian of the minor's person and estate, subject to approval of the court. If the minor's nominee is not approved by the court or if, after notice to the minor, the minor fails to nominate a guardian of the minor's person or estate, the court may appoint the guardian without nomination.

(d) The court shall not appoint as guardian of the person of the minor any person (i) who has been the subject of an indicated report under Section 3 of the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act that has been confirmed by the Department of Children and Family Services, or (ii) whom the court has determined had caused or substantially contributed to the minor becoming a neglected or abused minor as defined in the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 unless 2 years have elapsed since the last proven incident of abuse or neglect and the court determines that appointment of such person as guardian is in the best interests of the minor.

(e) Previous statements made by the minor relating to any allegations that the minor is an abused or neglected child within the meaning of the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act, or an abused or neglected minor within the meaning of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987, shall be admissible in evidence in a hearing concerning appointment of a guardian of the person or estate of the minor. No such statement, however, if uncorroborated and not subject to cross-examination, shall be sufficient in itself to support a finding of abuse or neglect.

(Source: P.A. 90-430, eff. 8-16-97; 90-472, eff. 8-17-97; 90-796, eff. 12-15-98.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect January 1, 2005.