IN THE MATTER OF THE ADOPTION OF THE AMENDMENT TO GR 23

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ORDER NO. 25700-A-830

     The Certified Professional Guardian Board having recommended the adoption of the proposed amendment to GR 23, and the Court having approved the proposed amendment for publication;

     Now, therefore, it is hereby

     ORDERED:

     (a) That pursuant to the provisions of GR 9(g), the proposed amendment as attached hereto is to be published for comment in the Washington Reports, Washington Register, Washington State Bar Association and Office of the Administrator for the Court's websites expeditiously.

     (b) The purpose statement as required by GR 9(e), is published solely for the information of the Bench, Bar and other interested parties.

     (c) Comments are to be submitted to the Clerk of the Supreme Court by either U.S. Mail or Internet E-Mail by no later than 60 days from the published date of the rule in the Washington Reports. Comments may be sent to the following addresses: P.O. Box 40929, Olympia, Washington 98504-0929, or Lisa.Bausch@courts.wa.gov. Comments submitted by e-mail message must be limited to 1500 words.

     DATED at Olympia, Washington this 6th day of October 2005.

	For the Court
	Gerry L. Alexander
	CHIEF JUSTICE

     Purpose: The Certified Professional Guardian Board has reviewed the qualifying criteria set out in the current language of GR 23 (d)(iv) and has concluded that there is a need to increase the education and experience requirements of applicants to become certified professional guardian (CPG). The Board has concluded that the complexity of matters concerning the needs of incapacitated persons, for whom certified professional guardians are responsible, requires more educational preparation and pertinent work experience than a person with a high school diploma or GED and five years of work experience possesses.

     The current minimum requirement is that applicants have a high school diploma, or GED, and five years pertinent work experience. The Certified Professional Guardian Board proposes that the minimum qualification requirement be changed to require an Associates Degree and four years experience working in a discipline pertinent to providing guardian services.

     Additionally, the current rule requires that a candidate hold a "Bachelor of Arts degree." It is the conclusion of the Board that this could exclude many appropriately educated persons who have a Bachelor of Science degree from becoming a CPG. The suggested rule change would require a CPG applicant to have a Baccalaureate degree and two years of pertinent work experience. This proposed change increases the work experience from one year to two years.

     (1) No Change:

     (i) No Change;

     (ii) No Change;

     (iii) No Change;

     (iv) Possess a high school diploma or equivalency (GED) and five years experience working in a discipline pertinent to the provision of guardianship services, such as legal, financial, social service, or health care; or an Associates of Arts d Degree from an accredited institution and three four years experience working in a discipline pertinent to the provision of guardianship services, such as which will include legal, financial, social service, or health care; or a Bachelor of Arts Baccalaureate d Degree from an accredited institution and one two years of experience working in a discipline pertinent to the provision of guardianship services, such as which will include legal, financial, social service, or health care; and

(v) No Change.

     Reviser's note: The typographical errors in the above material occurred in the copy filed by the State Supreme Court and appear in the Register pursuant to the requirements of RCW 34.08.040.

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