Florida Senate - 2016 SB 730 By Senator Margolis 35-00381A-16 2016730__ 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to professional guardians; creating s. 3 744.1087, F.S.; limiting a professional guardian’s 4 appointments to no more than 50 wards for which the 5 professional guardian receives compensation; 6 prohibiting a professional guardian that has more than 7 50 wards for which the professional guardian receives 8 compensation from being appointed another ward after a 9 certain date until the professional guardian has fewer 10 than 50 wards; providing an exception; prohibiting a 11 professional guardian from entering into any other 12 contract for services or transacting additional 13 business with a ward while serving as the ward’s 14 professional guardian; providing an effective date. 15 16 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 17 18 Section 1. Section 744.1087, Florida Statutes, is created 19 to read: 20 744.1087 Maximum number of wards for professional 21 guardians; limitations.— 22 (1) A natural person may be appointed as a professional 23 guardian for up to 50 wards for which he or she receives 24 compensation. If, as of July 1, 2016, such guardian has more 25 than 50 wards for which he or she receives compensation, the 26 guardian may not be appointed additional wards for which he or 27 she receives compensation until he or she has fewer than 50 28 wards. 29 (2) A trust company, a banking corporation, a partnership, 30 or an association may be appointed as the professional guardian 31 for up to 50 wards per single employee who serves in the 32 capacity of a professional guardian. If, as of July 1, 2016, a 33 trust company, a banking corporation, a partnership, or an 34 association has more than 50 wards per single employee who 35 serves in the capacity of a professional guardian for which the 36 entity receives compensation, the entity may not be appointed 37 additional wards for which it receives compensation until the 38 entity has fewer than 50 wards per single employee who serves in 39 the capacity of a professional guardian for which it receives 40 compensation. 41 (3) A professional guardian may be appointed wards in 42 addition to the limits specified in this section if the services 43 rendered to the additional wards are on a pro bono basis. 44 (4) A professional guardian may not enter into any other 45 contract for services or transact additional business with the 46 ward while serving as the ward’s professional guardian. 47 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2016.