JKC C.S.S.B. 586 75(R)BILL ANALYSIS


HUMAN SERVICES
C.S.S.B. 586
By: Moncrief (Naishtat)
5-14-97
Committee Report (Substituted)


BACKGROUND 

Currently, local guardianship programs in certain areas of the state have
successfully recruited volunteers to become guardians and protect the
interest of mentally incapacitated adults in Texas. Many mentally
incapacitated adults in Texas have no one to serve as their guardian and
take responsibility for important life decisions since certain areas of
the state are without such programs. This bill would create and establish
guidelines for the Guardianship Advisory Board to advise the Health and
Human Services Commission in adopting minimum standards for the provision
of guardianship and related services and in the development and
implementation of a plan to ensure that each incapacitated individual in
this state who needs a guardianship or another less restrictive type of
assistance receives that assistance.  S.B. 586 also sets forth the
certification guidelines a person who is licensed to practice law in this
state is required to obtain from the State Bar of Texas in order to
represent a proposed ward or guardian or other interested person at a
hearing to appoint a guardian.  
 
PURPOSE

As proposed, S.B. 586 sets forth the creation and guidelines of the
Guardianship Advisory Board and the certification of attorneys
representing certain parties in guardianship proceedings.   

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

Rulemaking authority is granted to the presiding judge of the statutory
probate courts in SECTION 1 (Section 531.122(e), Government Code) and to
the Health & Human Services Commission in SECTION 1 (Section
531.124(a)(1), Government Code) of this bill. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Chapter 531, Government Code, by adding Subchapter D, as
follows: 

SUBCHAPTER D.  GUARDIANSHIP ADVISORY BOARD

Sec. 531.121.  DEFINITIONS.  Defines "advisory board," "guardian,"
"guardianship program," "incapacitated individual," "private professional
guardian," and "statutory probate court."   

Sec. 531.122.  ADVISORY BOARD; MEMBERSHIP AND DUTIES.  Requires the
Guardianship Advisory Board (board) to advise the Health & Human Services
Commission (commission) in adopting standards under Section 531.124 and in
administrating the commission's  duties under this subchapter.  Provides
that the advisory board is composed of one representative from each of the
health and human services regions, as defined by the commission, appointed
by a majority vote of the judges of the statutory probate courts in each
region.  Requires the representative to be appointed by a majority vote of
the judges of the statutory probate courts in the state if a health and
human services region does not contain a statutory probate court.
Requires an individual to have demonstrated experience working with a
guardianship program; an organization that advocates on behalf of or in
the interest of elderly individuals with mental illness or mental
retardation; or incapacitated individuals. Provides that a member of the
advisory board serves at the pleasure of the judges of the statutory
probate courts.  Authorizes the presiding judge of the statutory probate
courts to  adopt rules as necessary for operation of the advisory board.
Provides that Articles 625233(2) and (8), V.T.C.S., do not apply to the
advisory board.   

Sec. 531.123.  ADVISORY BOARD; OFFICERS AND MEETINGS.  Requires the board
to elect from its members a presiding officer and other officers
considered necessary. Requires the advisory board to meet at the call of
the presiding officer.  Requires the board to develop and implement
policies to provide the public with a reasonable opportunity to appear
before the member and to speak on any issue under the jurisdiction of the
board.   

Sec. 531.124.  DUTIES.  Requires the commission, with the advice of the
advisory board, to adopt minimum standards of the provision of
guardianship and related services by a guardianship program; a person who
provides guardianship and related services on behalf of a guardianship
program or local guardianship center; and a person who serves as a private
professional guardian; and to develop and implement a plan to ensure that
each incapacitated individual in this state who needs a guardianship or
another less restrictive type of assistance to make decisions concerning
the incapacitated individual's own welfare and financial affairs receives
that assistance.  Requires the plan to include a means to foster the
establishment and growth of local guardianship programs.  Requires the
commission to design the standards under this section to protect the
interests of an incapacitated individual or other individual who needs
assistance in making the decisions concerning the individual's own welfare
or financial affairs. 

Sec. 531.125.  APPOINTMENT OF ATTORNEY AD LITEM AND INTERPRETER.
Authorizes the commission, by rule, to award grants to a local
guardianship center to establish local volunteer guardianship programs. 

SECTION 2. Requires the statutory probate judges to appoint the initial
members of the board by December 1, 1997.  

SECTION 3. Requires the commission to report to the governor and the
legislature on the plan required under Section 531.124, Government Code,
as added by this Act, by December 1, 1998.   
SECTION 4. Effective date: September 1, 1997.

SECTION 5. Emergency clause.    


COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE

(1)The substitute adds Section 531.125, authorizing the commission, by
rule, to award grants to a local guardianship center to establish local
volunteer guardianship programs. 

(2)The substitute deletes the following SECTIONS:

 _SECTION 2, amending Sec. 646, Appointment of Attorney Ad Litem and
Interpreter. 

_SECTION 3, amending Subpart E, Part 2, Chapter XIII, Texas Probate Code,
Sec. 647A, Certification Requirement for Certain Attorneys. 

_SECTION 4, regarding the effective dates of the previously deleted
SECTIONS 2 and 3. 

(3)Renumbers SECTION 5 as SECTION 2, SECTION 6 as SECTION 3, SECTION 7 as
SECTION 4, and SECTION 8 as SECTION 5.