R 157
2000-S 2573 am
Enacted 4/6/2000


S  E  N  A  T  E     R  E  S  O  L  U  T  I  O  N

RESPECTFULLY DIRECTING THE DEPARTMENT OF ELDERLY AFFAIRS TO IMPLEMENT A VOLUNTEER GUARDIANSHIP PROGRAM

Introduced By:  Senators Gibbs, Roberts, J. Cicilline and Goodwin Date Introduced:  February 10, 2000

WHEREAS, Senate Resolution 99S-0325 directed the Department of Elderly Affairs to study the issue of providing guardians for cognitively impaired elders who are in need of guardians due to the lack of family and/or financial resources; and

WHEREAS, Subsequent to passage of this resolution the Department of Elderly Affairs convened a study committee consisting of representatives from state and private agencies that have a role in providing services to elder individuals with cognitive impairments, elder advocates and consumers, legislators, members of the legal profession, law enforcement and the probate court system; and

WHEREAS, The committee was charged with studying the need for a system of public guardianship or a similar program which would provide similar volunteer guardians and make appropriate findings and recommendations addressing the need for providing guardians and surrogate decision makers to cognitively impaired elders; and

WHEREAS, The committee met on a regular basis from July 1999 to January 2000, and the committee has prepared a report and recommendations developed after careful analysis of: (1) guardianship programs in states across the country; and (2) the needs of Rhode Island elders with cognitive impairments; and

WHEREAS, The committee's major recommendation is for the Department of Elderly Affairs to establish a volunteer guardianship of the person program on a pilot basis which would systematically be phased in throughout the probate court system of Rhode Island to be initiated in Providence Probate Court; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Rhode Island Senate respectfully requests the Rhode Island Department of Elderly Affairs to implement a volunteer guardianship of the person program in fiscal year 2001 and to report back to the Governor, the Majority Leader of the Senate, the Speaker of the House and Chairman of the Long Term Care Coordinating Council on the progress made in implementing said volunteer guardianship of the person program on or before January 1, 2002; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and he hereby is authorized and directed to transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to the director of the Rhode Island Department of Elderly Affairs.

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