Florida Senate - 2022                             CS for SB 1710
       
       
        
       By the Committee on Children, Families, and Elder Affairs; and
       Senators Bradley, Brandes, and Brodeur
       
       
       
       
       586-02286-22                                          20221710c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to guardianship; creating s. 744.2112,
    3         F.S.; requiring the Florida Clerks of Court Operations
    4         Corporation and clerks of court to establish a
    5         statewide database of guardianship information for
    6         certain purposes; requiring the database to be
    7         interoperable with certain data systems; requiring the
    8         database to include certain information; requiring the
    9         database to be searchable by certain data points;
   10         requiring the database to have the ability to generate
   11         certain information; requiring the Office of Public
   12         and Professional Guardians to share certain
   13         information; requiring the Office of Public and
   14         Professional Guardians to publish professional
   15         guardian registration profiles on its website;
   16         requiring the profiles to be accessible and searchable
   17         by the public; requiring the profiles to include
   18         certain information; providing an effective date.
   19          
   20  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   21  
   22         Section 1. Section 744.2112, Florida Statutes, is created
   23  to read:
   24         744.2112 Statewide database of guardianship information;
   25  publication of professional guardian registration profiles.—
   26         (1) The Florida Clerks of Court Operations Corporation and
   27  clerks of court shall establish a statewide database of
   28  guardianship information to facilitate improved court oversight
   29  of such guardianships. The database must be interoperable with
   30  the data systems of each circuit court, such that each circuit
   31  court may easily access the data for regular use in judicial
   32  proceedings. The database must include, at a minimum,
   33  professional guardian registration and disciplinary data
   34  provided by the Office of Public and Professional Guardians,
   35  information on the status of guardian compliance with the
   36  statutory qualifications for guardianship, and the status of
   37  statutorily required reports and submissions. The database must
   38  be searchable by, at a minimum, petitioner, ward, ward
   39  demographic information, guardian and guardian location,
   40  counsel, other parties to each case, judge, and circuit. The
   41  database must have the ability to generate statewide and
   42  circuit-level statistical data of assistance to the courts and
   43  the Department of Elderly Affairs. The Office of Public and
   44  Professional Guardians shall share professional guardian
   45  registration and disciplinary data for the purposes of this
   46  subsection.
   47         (2) The Office of Public and Professional Guardians shall
   48  publish professional guardian registration profiles on its
   49  Internet website. The profiles must be accessible and searchable
   50  by the public, and shall include, at a minimum, information
   51  submitted under s. 744.2002, whether any complaints against the
   52  professional guardian have been substantiated, and any
   53  disciplinary actions taken by the department.
   54         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2022.