Senate Bill #845 (2019)
AN ACT RELATING TO PROBATE PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE -- LIMITED GUARDIANSHIP AND GUARDIANSHIP OF ADULTS
Requires that all persons seeking appointment as a limited guardian or guardian pursuant to chapter 15 of title 33 ("Limited Guardianships and Guardianship of Adults") be required to undergo a criminal background check.
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2019-04-30: Introduced, referred to Senate Judiciary
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2019-05-31: Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration (06/04/2019)
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2019-06-04: Scheduled for consideration (06/06/2019)
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2019-06-04: Committee recommended measure be held for further study
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2019-06-05: Proposed Substitute
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2019-06-06: Committee recommends passage of Sub A
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2019-06-11: Placed on Senate Calendar (06/13/2019)
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2019-06-11: Placed on Senate Calendar
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2019-06-13: Senate passed Sub A
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2019-06-14: Scheduled for consideration (06/18/2019)
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2019-06-14: Referred to House Judiciary
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2019-06-18: Placed on House Calendar (06/20/2019)
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2019-06-18: Committee recommends passage of Sub A in concurrence
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2019-06-20: House passed Sub A in concurrence
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2019-07-11: Transmitted to Governor
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2019-07-16: Signed by Governor
Changes since original draft
2019 – S 0845- 2019 – S 0845 SUBSTITUTE A
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LC002427- LC002427/SUB A/2
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S TATE OF RHODE IS L AND IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2019 ____________ A N A C T RELATING TO PROBATE PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE – LIMITED GUARDIANSHIP AND GUARDIANSHIP OF ADULTS Introduced By: Senators Coyne, McCaffrey, Lombardi, Conley, and Lynch Prata Date Introduced: April 30, 2019 Referred To: Senate Judiciary It is enacted by the GeneralAssembly as follows: SECTION 1. Chapter 33-15 of the General Laws entitled "Limited Guardianship and Guardianship of Adults" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section: 33-15-16.1. National criminal background checks for persons appointed limited guardian or guardian. (a) In order to assist and protect Rhode Island's at-risk elderly and others over whom a limited guardian or guardian would be required, all persons applying for appointment as a limited guardian or guardian shall apply to the Rhode Island attorney general, the Rhode Island state police, or to the appropriate local police department for a nationwide criminal records check, utilizing a standard form to be provided by the probate court. The applicant whose criminal records check is being conducted shall be responsible for the payment of the costs of said criminal records check. The check will conform to the applicable federal standards, including the taking of fingerprints of the applicant. (b) An individual may be appointed as a temporary limited guardian or temporary guardian for a period not to exceed sixty (60) days, pending completion of the national criminal background check required by this section. (c) For the purposes of this section, information produced by a national criminal records check pertaining to conviction for the following crimes may be considered as "disqualifying information": murder, voluntary manslaughter, involuntary manslaughter, first-degree sexual assault, second-degree sexual assault, third-degree sexual assault, assault on persons sixty (60) years of age or older, assault with intent to commit specified felonies (murder, robbery, rape, burglary, or the abominable and detestable crime against nature), felony assault, patient abuse, neglect or mistreatment of patients, burglary, first-degree arson, robbery, felony drug offenses, felony larceny, or felony banking law violations, felony obtaining money under false pretenses, felony embezzlement, abuse, neglect and/or exploitation of adults with severe impairments, exploitation of elders, or a crime under section 1128(a) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7(a)).- S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D
- IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
- JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2019
- ____________
- A N A C T
- RELATING TO PROBATE PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE – LIMITED GUARDIANSHIP
- AND GUARDIANSHIP OF ADULTS
- Introduced By: Senators Coyne, McCaffrey, Lombardi, Conley, and Lynch Prata
- Date Introduced: April 30, 2019
- Referred To: Senate Judiciary
- It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
- SECTION 1. Chapter 33-15 of the General Laws entitled "Limited Guardianship and Guardianship of Adults" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:
- 33-15-6.1. National criminal background checks for persons appointed limited guardian or guardian.
- (a) In order to assist and protect Rhode Island's at-risk elderly and others over whom a limited guardian or guardian would be required, all persons applying for appointment as a limited guardian or guardian shall apply to the Rhode Island attorney general, the Rhode Island state police, or to the appropriate local police department for a nationwide criminal records check, utilizing a standard form to be provided by the probate court. The applicant whose criminal records check is being conducted shall be responsible for the payment of the costs of said criminal records check. The check will conform to the applicable federal standards, including the taking of fingerprints of the applicant.
- (b) An individual may be appointed as a temporary limited guardian or temporary guardian for a period not to exceed ten (10) days, pending completion of the national criminal background check required by this section.
- (c) For the purposes of this section, information produced by a national criminal records check pertaining to conviction for the following crimes may be considered as "disqualifying information": murder, voluntary manslaughter, involuntary manslaughter, first-degree sexual assault, second-degree sexual assault, third-degree sexual assault, assault on persons sixty (60) years of age or older, assault with intent to commit specified felonies (murder, robbery, rape, burglary, or the abominable and detestable crime against nature), felony assault, patient abuse, neglect or mistreatment of patients, burglary, first-degree arson, robbery, felony drug offenses, felony larceny, or felony banking law violations, felony obtaining money under false pretenses, felony embezzlement, abuse, neglect and/or exploitation of adults with severe impairments, exploitation of elders, or a crime under section 1128(a) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7(a)).
- (d) For the purposes of this section, "conviction" means, in addition to judgments of conviction entered by a court subsequent to a finding of guilty or a plea of guilty, those instances where the defendant has entered a plea of nolo contendere and has received a sentence of probation and those instances where a defendant has entered into a deferred sentence agreement.
(e) If any disqualifying information is discovered with respect to the applicant, the bureau of criminal identification of the attorney general, state police or the local police department will inform the probate court, in writing, without disclosing the nature of the disqualifying information, that an item of disqualifying nature has been discovered. In addition, the bureau of criminal identification of the attorney general, state police or the local police department will inform the applicant, in writing, of the nature of the disqualifying information. An applicant against whom disqualifying information has been found may request that a copy of the criminal background report be sent to the probate court which shall make a judgment regarding the suitability of the applicant.- (e) If any disqualifying information is discovered with respect to the applicant, the bureau of criminal identification of the attorney general, state police or the local police department will inform the probate court, in writing, without disclosing the nature of the disqualifying information, that an item of disqualifying nature has been discovered. In addition, the bureau of criminal identification of the attorney general, state police or the local police department will inform the applicant, in writing, of the nature of the disqualifying information. An applicant against whom disqualifying information has been found may request that a copy of the criminal background report be sent to the probate court which shall make the determination of suitability of the applicant.
- (f) At the conclusion of any background check required by this chapter, the bureau of criminal identification of the attorney general, state police or the local police department will promptly destroy the fingerprint card of the applicant.
- (g) In those situations in which no disqualifying information has been found, the bureau of criminal identification of the attorney general, state police or the local police department shall inform both the applicant and the probate court of this fact.
(h) The probate court shall maintain a record subject to review by the department of attorney general of the evidence that criminal background checks have been initiated and completed and the results thereof, in compliance with the provisions of this section for allpersons seeking appointment as a guardian or limited guardian after January 1, 2020. SECTION 2. This act shalltake effect upon passage.- (h) The probate court shall maintain a record subject to review by the department of attorney general of the evidence that criminal background checks have been initiated and completed and the results thereof, in compliance with the provisions of this section for all persons seeking appointment as a guardian or limited guardian after January 1, 2020.
- SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.
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LC002427- LC002427/SUB A/2
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LC002427 - Page 2of 3 EXPLANATION BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL OF A N A C T RELATING TO PROBATE PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE – LIMITED GUARDIANSHIP AND GUARDIANSHIP OF ADULTS- EXPLANATION
- BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
- OF
- A N A C T
- RELATING TO PROBATE PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE – LIMITED GUARDIANSHIP
- AND GUARDIANSHIP OF ADULTS
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This act would require that all persons seeking appointment as a limited guardian or guardian pursuant to chapter 15 of title 33 ("Limited Guardianships and Guardianship of Adults") be required to undergo a criminal background check. This act would take effect upon passage. ======== LC002427 ======== LC002427 - Page 3of 3- This act would require that all persons seeking appointment as a limited guardian or guardian pursuant to chapter 15 of title 33 ("Limited Guardianships and Guardianship of Adults") be required to undergo a nationwide criminal background check.
- This act would take effect upon passage. ======== LC002427/SUB A/2 ========
Votes
NOTE: Electronic voting records are unofficial and may not be accurate. For an official vote tally, check the
House or Senate Journal from the day of the vote.
June 13, 2019 at 6:13pm
Yeas: 37 /
Nays: 0 /
Not voting: 0 /
Recused: 1
Floor vote for PASSAGE
IN CONCURRENCE
June 20, 2019 at 5:51pm
Yeas: 73 /
Nays: 0 /
Not voting: 2 /
Recused: 0