CS/HB 1225 - Guardianship Summary

• Establishes the Office of Public and Professional Guardians within the Department of Elderly Affairs to oversee both public and professional guardians statewide with an executive director who must be a Florida Bar member

• Requires professional guardians to register annually with the office, maintain bonding and educational requirements (40 hours initial training, 16 hours continuing education every 2 years), and pass a competency examination

• Creates a professional guardian registry system where courts must appoint guardians in rotating order from certified lists compiled by chief judges, with exceptions only for documented good cause

• Removes the executive director's authority to suspend or revoke guardian registrations and transfers disciplinary authority to rule-based procedures under chapter 120

• Grants the Office of Public and Professional Guardians access to all court records for guardianship cases involving professional guardians and establishes grant programs to support public guardianship services with specific funding formulas for repeat applicants

• Effective date: July 1, 2015