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REFERENCE TITLE: vulnerable adults; guardianship; family visitation |
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State of Arizona Senate Fifty-second Legislature First Regular Session 2015
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SB 1416 |
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Introduced by Senators McGuire: Allen, Yee
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AN ACT
Amending section 14‑5307, Arizona Revised Statutes; amending title 36, chapter 4, article 1, Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding section 36‑416; relating to vulnerable adults.
(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
Section 1. Section 14-5307, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:
14-5307. Substitution or resignation of guardian; termination of incapacity
A. On petition of the ward or any person interested in the ward's welfare, or on the court's own initiative, the court shall substitute a guardian and appoint a successor if it is in the best interest of the ward. The court does not need to find that the guardian acted inappropriately to find that the substitution is in the ward's best interest. The guardian and the guardian's attorney may be compensated from the ward's estate for defending against a petition for substitution only for the amount ordered by the court and on petition by the guardian or the guardian's attorney. When substituting a guardian and appointing a successor, the court may appoint an individual nominated by the ward if the ward is at least fourteen years of age and has, in the opinion of the court, sufficient mental capacity to make an intelligent choice. On petition of the guardian, the court may accept a resignation and make any other order that may be appropriate.
B. The ward may petition the court for an order that the ward is no longer incapacitated or petition for substitution of the guardian at any time. A request for this order may be made by informal letter to the court or judge. A person who knowingly interferes with the transmission of this request may be found in contempt of court. If a vulnerable adult's condition significantly improves, every effort shall be made on the person's behalf to petition the court for an order that the person is no longer incapacitated and in need of a guardian.
C. An interested person, other than the guardian or ward, shall not file a petition for adjudication that the ward is no longer incapacitated earlier than one year after the order adjudicating incapacity was entered unless the court permits it to be made on the basis of affidavits that there is reason to believe that the ward is no longer incapacitated.
D. An interested person, other than the guardian or ward, shall not file a petition to substitute a guardian earlier than one year after the order adjudicating incapacity was entered unless the court permits it to be made on the basis of affidavits that there is reason to believe that the current guardian will endanger the ward's physical, mental or emotional health if not substituted.
E. Before substituting a guardian, accepting the resignation of a guardian or ordering that a ward's incapacity has terminated, the court, following the same procedures to safeguard the rights of the ward as apply to a petition for appointment of a guardian, may send an investigator to the residence of the present guardian and to the place where the ward resides or is detained to observe conditions and report in writing to the court.
F. On termination of the incapacity, the supreme court shall transmit the order terminating the incapacity to the department of public safety. The department of public safety shall transmit the information to the national instant criminal background check system.
Sec. 2. Title 36, chapter 4, article 1, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 36-416, to read:
36-416. Vulnerable adults; appointed physician; visitation
A health care institution that is licensed pursuant to this chapter shall allow:
1. A vulnerable adult in the institution's care to retain the vulnerable adult's primary care physician. If the vulnerable adult does not have a physician, a physician may be named jointly by the vulnerable adult's guardian and family.
2. The Family members and friends of a vulnerable adult to see and speak with the vulnerable adult unless the vulnerable adult personally tells the family members or friends that he does not wish to see or speak with them.