Florida Senate - 2016                                     SB 362
       
       
        
       By Senator Lee
       
       
       
       
       
       24-00498-16                                            2016362__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the power of attorney; amending s.
    3         709.2105, F.S.; revising the qualifications of an
    4         agent in the execution of power of attorney to include
    5         certain not-for-profit corporations; providing
    6         criteria for such corporations; providing that a
    7         person acting on behalf of the corporation in its role
    8         as an agent under a power of attorney has a fiduciary
    9         responsibility to the principal; providing an
   10         effective date.
   11          
   12  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   13  
   14         Section 1. Section 709.2105, Florida Statutes, is amended
   15  to read:
   16         709.2105 Qualifications of agent; execution of power of
   17  attorney.—
   18         (1) The agent must be one of the following:
   19         (a) A natural person who is 18 years of age or older. or
   20         (b) A financial institution that has trust powers, has a
   21  place of business in this state, and authorization is authorized
   22  to conduct trust business in this state.
   23         (c)A not-for-profit corporation that complies with the
   24  requirements of subparagraphs 1.-7.
   25         1. The not-for-profit corporation must be qualified to do
   26  business in the state; must be organized for charitable or
   27  religious purposes in this state; must have served as a court
   28  appointed guardian before January 1, 1996; must be tax-exempt
   29  under s. 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; may not charge
   30  a fee or cost to a principal for services but may be reimbursed
   31  for actual expenses; and must serve only principals who reside
   32  in communities that provide housing for older persons as defined
   33  in s. 760.29(4), and former residents of such communities.
   34         2. The not-for-profit corporation must require each
   35  principal who signs a power of attorney on or after July 1,
   36  2016, to sign a separate written instrument containing the
   37  following language in 14-point uppercase type:
   38  
   39         I UNDERSTAND THAT THE AGENT IS A NOT-FOR-PROFIT
   40         CORPORATION THAT IS NOT CHARGING A FEE FOR SERVICES TO
   41         ME (BUT MAY BE REIMBURSED FOR ACTUAL EXPENSES) AND
   42         THAT THE INDIVIDUALS THAT WILL PROVIDE ME SERVICES ARE
   43         VOLUNTEERS WHO MAY NOT HAVE A STATE LICENSE OR
   44         CERTIFICATION.
   45  
   46         I UNDERSTAND THAT THE ASSETS OF THE NOT-FOR-PROFIT
   47         CORPORATION MAY NOT BE SUFFICIENT TO COVER LIABILITY
   48         ARISING FROM AN ERROR, AN OMISSION, OR ANY INTENTIONAL
   49         MISCONDUCT COMMITTED BY A DIRECTOR, AN OFFICER, AN
   50         EMPLOYEE, A VOLUNTEER, OR AN AGENT OF THE CORPORATION.
   51  
   52         3.The not-for-profit corporation must allow the clerk of
   53  the circuit court for the circuit in which the corporation
   54  maintains its primary place of business to, at any time, audit
   55  the books and records of the corporation upon request.
   56         4.A person may not act on behalf of the not-for-profit
   57  corporation in its role as an agent if the person:
   58         a.Has been convicted of a felony; is incapable of
   59  discharging the duties of an agent as a result of any incapacity
   60  or illness; or is otherwise unsuitable to perform the duties of
   61  an agent.
   62         b.Has been arrested for and is awaiting final disposition
   63  of, has been found guilty of, regardless of adjudication, or has
   64  entered a plea of nolo contendere or guilty to any offense
   65  involving dishonesty or specified in s. 435.04(2), or similar
   66  law of another jurisdiction.
   67         c.Has been adjudicated bankrupt in the previous 10 years.
   68         d.Provides substantial services to the principal in a
   69  professional or business capacity, or is a creditor of the
   70  principal, and retains that previous professional or business
   71  relationship.
   72         e.Is employed by any person, agency, government, or
   73  corporation that provides service to the principal in a
   74  professional or business capacity unless the employed person is
   75  the spouse, adult child, parent, or sibling of the principal or
   76  a court determines that the potential conflict of interest is
   77  insubstantial and the ability of such person to act on behalf of
   78  the not-for-profit corporation in its role as agent would
   79  clearly be in the principal’s best interest.
   80         5.The not-for-profit corporation shall require all
   81  directors, officers, and employees of the not-for-profit
   82  corporation, and any person that acts on behalf of the not-for
   83  profit corporation in its role as an agent, to submit at their
   84  own expense or at the expense of the corporation, but never at
   85  the cost of any principal, to a credit history background check
   86  before acting as an agent. A credit history background check
   87  shall be completed again at least once every 2 years after the
   88  initial check. The corporation shall maintain a file on each
   89  director, officer, and employee, and any person acting on behalf
   90  of the not-for-profit corporation in its role as an agent, and
   91  retain in the file documentation of the result of any credit
   92  history background check conducted under this subparagraph. The
   93  clerk of court may audit such credit history background files.
   94         6.The not-for-profit corporation shall require all
   95  directors, officers, and employees of the not-for-profit
   96  corporation, and any person that acts on behalf of the not-for
   97  profit corporation in its role as an agent, to submit at their
   98  own expense or at the expense of the corporation, but never at
   99  the cost of any principal, to a criminal history background
  100  check before acting as an agent. The corporation shall maintain
  101  a file on each director, officer, and employee, and any person
  102  acting on behalf of the not-for-profit corporation in its role
  103  as an agent, and retain in the file documentation of the result
  104  of any criminal history background check conducted under this
  105  subparagraph. The corporation must allow a principal to review
  106  the criminal history background check of any person acting on
  107  behalf of the principal. The clerk of court may audit the
  108  person’s criminal history background files.
  109         7.The not-for-profit corporation must keep on file in the
  110  community in which the corporation is acting an updated listing
  111  of each person authorized to act on behalf of the corporation as
  112  an agent, along with a copy of the background check results. Any
  113  principal may request a copy of the list of authorized persons.
  114         8.Any person that acts on behalf of a not-for-profit
  115  corporation pursuant to this paragraph in its role as an agent
  116  under a power of attorney has a fiduciary responsibility to the
  117  principal and must comply with all provisions of this chapter.
  118         9.In addition to any other penalty provided by law, any
  119  person acting on behalf of a not-for-profit corporation in its
  120  role as an agent pursuant to this paragraph is subject to s.
  121  825.103.
  122         (2) A power of attorney must be signed by the principal and
  123  by two subscribing witnesses and be acknowledged by the
  124  principal before a notary public or as otherwise provided in s.
  125  695.03.
  126         (3) If the principal is physically unable to sign the power
  127  of attorney, the notary public before whom the principal’s oath
  128  or acknowledgment is made may sign the principal’s name on the
  129  power of attorney pursuant to s. 117.05(14).
  130         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2016.