Senate Bill 1081 Summary

• Allows parents or spouses to appoint guardians for unmarried children or spouses believed to be incapacitated through a will or signed writing, with appointment becoming effective on the appointing parent's/spouse's death, adjudication of incapacity, or written physician determination of inability to care for the incapacitated person.

• Permits interested parties to object to parental or spousal guardianship appointments in writing, which terminates the appointment; allows courts to confirm appointments before they become effective if the appointing parent/spouse will likely become unable to care for the incapacitated person within two years.

• Enables minors who are at least seventeen years six months old and alleged to be incapacitated to initiate guardianship proceedings with orders taking effect immediately on the minor's eighteenth birthday, and allows acceptance of evaluations conducted within six months before petition filing.

• Allows minors aged seventeen years six months or older alleged to need protection to petition for conservator appointments or protective orders with orders taking effect on the minor's eighteenth birthday.

• Permits courts to continue conservatorships or protective orders beyond a minor's eighteenth birthday if appropriate and requires petitions to comply with specific procedures and notice requirements.