S-3502.3
SENATE BILL 6479
State of Washington
65th Legislature
2018 Regular Session
By Senators Conway and Chase
Read first time 01/19/18. Referred to Committee on Law & Justice.
AN ACT Relating to the training and monitoring of guardians; adding a new section to chapter 11.88 RCW; and creating a new section.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1.  In order to preserve and protect the rights of people with disabilities and seniors, the legislature creates the guardianship monitoring and training advisory group. This advisory group will address two of the nine goals of the working interdisciplinary network of guardianship stakeholders: Goal number eight, helping family guardians navigate the court system and perform guardianship duties; and goal number nine, developing procedures to proactively monitor guardianships. Training for lay guardians and monitoring of guardians are priority recommendations of the 2016 final report of the joint legislative and executive committee on aging and disability issues.
NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 11.88 RCW to read as follows:
(1) The department of social and health services shall convene an advisory group to accomplish the following:
(a) To develop a model program to monitor guardians appointed under this chapter. This program must provide for monitoring of both professional guardians and lay guardians;
(b) To develop an in-person training program for use by lay guardians across the state.
(2) The advisory group shall consist of representatives from:
(a) The developmental disabilities ombuds;
(b) The department of social and health services developmental disabilities administration;
(c) The department of social and health services aging and long-term support administration;
(d) The long-term care ombuds;
(e) The administrative office of the courts;
(f) The Washington state bar association;
(g) The superior courts;
(h) Local area agencies on aging;
(i) The certified professional guardianship board;
(j) Certified professional guardians;
(k) A nonprofit organization that advocates for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities;
(l) A nonprofit organization that advocates for people with mental illness;
(m) A nonprofit organization that advocates for people with dementia;
(n) The Washington state coalition for language access;
(o) A nonprofit organization that advocates for senior citizens;
(p) Two self-advocates who are persons with intellectual or developmental disabilities;
(q) A union representing individual providers working with the aging and long-term support administration; and
(r) An organization representing Washington hospitals.
(3) In addition to the representatives provided in subsection (2) of this section, the speaker of the house of representatives shall appoint two members of the house of representatives, one from each caucus, and the president of the senate shall appoint two members of the senate, one from each caucus.
(4) The advisory group shall select two cochairs from among the legislative members appointed under subsection (3) of this section.
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