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2022 SESSION

22101034D
HOUSE BILL NO. 1212
Offered January 18, 2022
A BILL to amend and reenact § 64.2-2004 of the Code of Virginia, relating to guardianship and conservatorship; notice of hearing.
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Patrons-- Glass, Maldonado and Shin
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Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice
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Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That § 64.2-2004 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:

§ 64.2-2004. Notice of hearing; jurisdictional.

A. Upon the filing of the petition, the court shall promptly set a date, time, and location for a hearing. The respondent shall be given reasonable notice of the hearing. The respondent may not waive notice, and a failure to properly notify the respondent shall be jurisdictional.

B. A respondent, whether or not he resides in the Commonwealth, shall be personally served with the notice of the hearing, a copy of the petition, and a copy of the order appointing a guardian ad litem pursuant to § 64.2-2003. A certification, in the guardian ad litem's report required by subsection B of § 64.2-2003, that the guardian ad litem personally served the respondent with the notice, a copy of the petition, and a copy of the order appointing a guardian ad litem shall constitute valid personal service for purposes of this section.

C. A copy of the notice, together with a copy of the petition, shall be mailed by first-class mail by the petitioner at least seven days before the hearing to all adult individuals and to all entities whose names and post office addresses appear in the petition. The court, for good cause shown, may waive the advance notice required by this subsection. If the advance notice is waived, the petitioner shall promptly mail by first-class mail a copy of the petition and any order entered to those individuals and entities.

D. The notice to the respondent shall include a brief statement in at least 14-point type of the purpose of the proceedings and shall inform the respondent of the right to be represented by counsel pursuant to § 64.2-2006 and to a hearing pursuant to § 64.2-2007. Additionally, the notice shall include the following statement in conspicuous, bold print.

WARNING

AT THE HEARING YOU MAY LOSE MANY OF YOUR RIGHTS. A GUARDIAN MAY BE APPOINTED TO MAKE PERSONAL DECISIONS FOR YOU. A CONSERVATOR MAY BE APPOINTED TO MAKE DECISIONS CONCERNING YOUR PROPERTY AND FINANCES. THE APPOINTMENT MAY AFFECT CONTROL OF HOW YOU SPEND YOUR MONEY, HOW YOUR PROPERTY IS MANAGED AND CONTROLLED, WHO MAKES YOUR MEDICAL DECISIONS, WHERE YOU LIVE, WHETHER YOU ARE ALLOWED TO VOTE, AND OTHER IMPORTANT RIGHTS.

ANY ADULT INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING A COPY OF THIS NOTICE MAY FILE A PETITION TO INTERVENE IN THE ACTION TO BECOME A PARTY AND TO REQUEST TO BE APPOINTED YOUR GUARDIAN OR YOUR CONSERVATOR OR PROPOSE ANOTHER GUARDIAN OR CONSERVATOR BE APPOINTED IN LIEU OF THE ONE SELECTED.

E. The petitioner shall file with the clerk of the circuit court a statement of compliance with subsections B, C, and D.