SEARCH SITE

VIRGINIA LAW PORTAL

SEARCHABLE DATABASES

ACROSS SESSIONS

Developed and maintained by the Division of Legislative Automated Systems.

2020 SESSION

  • | print version

HB 862 Guardianship; communication between close relatives and friends of incapacitated persons.

Introduced by: Mark H. Levine | all patrons    ...    notes | add to my profiles

SUMMARY AS INTRODUCED:

Guardianship; communication between close relatives and friends of incapacitated persons; restricted communication procedures; notification of close relatives and friends. Provides that a guardian may restrict an incapacitated person's ability to communicate with, visit, or interact with close relatives, as defined in the bill, and friends, as defined in the bill, only when necessary to prevent a reasonable expectation of serious physical or psychological harm or serious financial exploitation occurring to the incapacitated person. The bill further sets up a procedure by which a person whose visits, communication with, or interaction with an incapacitated person have been restricted may challenge such restriction in court and a procedure by which a guardian may petition the court to restrict an incapacitated person's communication, visitation, and interaction rights with a close relative or friend. The bill provides that the court may restrict an incapacitated person's communication, visitation, and interaction rights with such person when it finds by clear and convincing evidence that serious physical or psychological harm or serious financial exploitation would reasonably be expected to occur to such incapacitated person from such communication, visitation, or interaction. The bill allows the court to require a guardian found to have imposed restrictions or brought such a petition in bad faith or not for the benefit of the incapacitated person to pay or reimburse all or some of the incapacitated person's reasonable costs and fees. The bill also specifies that such a finding may be grounds for termination of the guardianship appointment. The bill requires the guardian to notify close relatives and friends of the incapacitated person of certain life events of the incapacitated person, unless the guardian is notified in writing that any such close relative or friend does not wish to be notified or if there exists between such close relative or friend and the incapacitated person a protective order or court order otherwise prohibiting contact.


FULL TEXT

AMENDMENTS

HISTORY