Florida Senate - 2014                        COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
       Bill No. CS for SB 634
       
       
       
       
       
       
                                Ì640150gÎ640150                         
       
                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
                    Senate             .             House              
                  Comm: RCS            .                                
                  03/05/2014           .                                
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    1         Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
    2  
    3         Delete lines 43 - 150
    4  and insert:
    5  professional audit standards, such as verifications, reviews of
    6  substantiating papers and accounts, interviews, inspections, and
    7  investigations.
    8         Section 2. Subsection (1) of section 744.3135, Florida
    9  Statutes, is amended to read:
   10         744.3135 Credit and criminal investigation.—
   11         (1) The court shall require all persons who are seeking
   12  appointment by the court, other than a corporate guardian as
   13  described in s. 744.309(4) may require a nonprofessional
   14  guardian and shall require a professional or public guardian,
   15  and all employees of a professional guardian, other than a
   16  corporate guardian as described in s. 744.309(4), who have a
   17  fiduciary responsibility to a ward, to submit, at their own
   18  expense, to a an investigation of the guardian’s credit history
   19  investigation and to undergo level 2 background screening as
   20  required under s. 435.04. If appointed, a nonprofessional
   21  guardian may petition the court for reimbursement of the
   22  reasonable expenses of the credit history investigation and
   23  background screening. If a credit or criminal history record
   24  check is required, The court must consider the results of any
   25  investigation before appointing a guardian. At any time, the
   26  court may require a guardian or the guardian’s employees to
   27  submit to an investigation of the person’s credit history and
   28  complete a level 1 background screening pursuant to as set forth
   29  in s. 435.03. The court shall consider the results of any
   30  investigation in determining whether to reappoint when
   31  reappointing a guardian. The clerk of the court shall maintain a
   32  file on each guardian appointed by the court and retain in the
   33  file documentation of the result of any investigation conducted
   34  under this section. A professional guardian shall must pay the
   35  clerk of the court a fee of up to $7.50 for handling and
   36  processing professional guardian files.
   37         Section 3. Subsections (5) through (7) are added to section
   38  744.368, Florida Statutes, to read:
   39         744.368 Responsibilities of the clerk of the circuit
   40  court.—
   41         (5) If the clerk has reason to believe further review is
   42  appropriate, the clerk may request and review records and
   43  documents that reasonably relate to the guardianship assets,
   44  including, but not limited to, the beginning inventory balance
   45  and any fees charged to the guardianship.
   46         (6) If a guardian fails to produce records or documents to
   47  the clerk upon request, the clerk may request the court to enter
   48  an order pursuant to s. 744.3685(2) by filing an affidavit that
   49  identifies the records or documents requested and shows good
   50  cause as to why the records or documents requested should be
   51  produced.
   52         (7) Upon application to the court supported by an affidavit
   53  pursuant to subsection (6), the clerk may issue subpoenas to
   54  nonparties to compel production of records or documents. Before
   55  issuance of a subpoena by affidavit, the clerk must serve notice
   56  on the guardian and the ward, unless the ward is a minor or
   57  totally incapacitated, of the intent to serve subpoenas to
   58  nonparties.
   59         (a) The clerk must attach the affidavit and the proposed
   60  subpoena to the notice to the guardian and, if appropriate, to
   61  the ward. The notice must:
   62         1. State the time, place, and method for production of the
   63  records or documents, and the name and address of the person who
   64  is to produce the documents or items, if known, or if not known,
   65  a general description sufficient to identify the person or the
   66  particular class or group to which the person belongs;
   67         2. Include a designation of the records or documents to be
   68  produced; and
   69         3. State that the person who will be asked to produce the
   70  records or documents has the right to object to the production
   71  under this section and that the person is not required to
   72  surrender the records or documents.
   73         (b) A copy of the notice and proposed subpoena may not be
   74  furnished to the person upon whom the subpoena is to be served.
   75         (c) If the guardian or ward serves an objection to
   76  production under this subsection within 10 days after service of
   77  the notice, the records or documents may not be required to be
   78  produced until resolution of the objection. If an objection is
   79  not made within 10 days after service of the notice, the clerk
   80  may issue the subpoena to the nonparty. The court may shorten
   81  the period within which a guardian or ward must file an
   82  objection if the clerk’s affidavit shows that the ward’s
   83  property is in danger of being wasted, misappropriated, or lost
   84  unless immediate action is taken.
   85         Section 4. Section 744.3685, Florida Statutes, is amended
   86  to read:
   87         744.3685 Order requiring guardianship report; contempt.—
   88         (1)If When a guardian fails to file the guardianship
   89  report, the court shall order the guardian to file the report
   90  within 15 days after the service of the order upon her or him or
   91  show cause why she or he may should not be compelled to do so.
   92         (2) If a guardian fails to comply with the submission of
   93  records or documents requested by the clerk during the audit,
   94  upon a showing of good cause by affidavit of the clerk which
   95  shows the reasons the records must be produced, the court may
   96  order the guardian to produce the records or documents within a
   97  period specified by the court unless the guardian shows good
   98  cause as to why the guardian may not be compelled to do so
   99  before the deadline specified by the court. The affidavit of the
  100  clerk shall be served with the order.
  101         (3) A copy of an the order entered pursuant to subsection
  102  (1) or subsection (2) shall be served on the guardian or on the
  103  guardian’s resident agent. If the guardian fails to comply with
  104  the order file her or his report within the time specified by
  105  the order without good cause, the court may cite the guardian
  106  for contempt of court and may fine her or him. The fine may not
  107  be paid out of the ward’s property.
  108         Section 5. Subsection (21) is added to section 744.474,
  109  Florida Statutes, to read:
  110         744.474 Reasons for removal of guardian.—A guardian may be
  111  removed for any of the following reasons, and the removal shall
  112  be in addition to any other penalties prescribed by law:
  113  (21) The failure in bad faith to submit guardianship records
  114  
  115  ================= T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T ================
  116  And the title is amended as follows:
  117         Delete line 12
  118  and insert:
  119         records and documents relating to guardianship assets
  120         and to issue