Guardian Accountability and Senior Protection Act

Bill: 112-s-1744
Sponsor: Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN]
Introduced: 2011-10-20 in the Senate
Policy area: Law
Subjects: Aging
Criminal justice information and records
Disability and paralysis
Domestic violence and child abuse
Family services
Judicial procedure and administration
State and local courts

Summary:
action_date: 2011-10-20
text: 
Guardian Accountability and Senior Protection Act - Amends the Older Americans Act of 1965 to authorize the Assistant Secretary of Aging in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to make grants to and enter into contracts with states and other specified public and private recipients for: (1) assessing the fairness, effectiveness, timeliness, and accessibility of adult guardianship and conservatorship proceedings; (2) implementing necessary changes as a result of the assessments; and (3) collecting necessary data regarding those proceedings and the impact of the necessary changes.
 
Requires the Assistant Secretary of Aging to make grants to enable the highest court of a state to: (1) conduct its own assessments of the role, responsibilities, and effectiveness of state courts in carrying out state laws requiring proceedings with respect to guardianship and conservatorship; and (2) implement necessary changes in light of them. 
 
Directs the Attorney General to establish a pilot program to identify efficient, effective, and economical procedures for state courts to conduct background checks on prospective guardians and conservators.
 
Authorizes the State Justice Institute to award grants to eligible highest state courts to assist in improving conservator monitoring efforts through electronic filing. 

action_date: 2012-07-12
text: 
Guardian Accountability and Senior Protection Act - Amends the Older Americans Act of 1965 to authorize the Assistant Secretary of Aging in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to make grants to and enter into contracts with states and other specified public and private recipients for: (1) assessing the fairness, effectiveness, timeliness, safety, integrity, and accessibility of adult guardianship and conservatorship proceedings; and (2) implementing necessary changes as a result of the assessments.
 
Requires the Assistant Secretary to submit to the State Justice Institute recommendations for the awarding of such grants and contracts.
 
Authorizes the award of grants to enable the highest court of each state to: (1) conduct assessments used with respect to a full, limited, or temporary adult guardianship or conservatorship; (2) implement necessary changes in light of them; and (3) collect necessary data regarding those proceedings and the impact of the necessary changes.
 
Requires the Assistant Secretary to set aside 25% of amounts made available for grants in each fiscal year to enable courts to implement or improve systems to conduct background checks on prospective guardians and conservators.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2012-07-12
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 450.
action_date: 2012-07-12
text: Committee on the Judiciary. Reported by Senator Leahy with an amendment in the nature of a substitute and an amendment to the title. Without written report.
action_date: 2012-07-12
text: Committee on the Judiciary. Reported by Senator Leahy with an amendment in the nature of a substitute and an amendment to the title. Without written report.
action_date: 2012-07-12
text: Committee on the Judiciary. Ordered to be reported with amendments favorably.
action_date: 2011-10-20
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2011-10-20
text: Introduced in Senate