AL
Alabama House Bill HB105

Alabama 2023 Regular Session

Alabama House Bill HB105 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.
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11 HB105INTRODUCED
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33 T8YH99-1
44 By Representatives Almond, Faulkner
55 RFD: Judiciary
66 First Read: 07-Mar-23
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1111 5 T8YH99-1 03/03/2023 GP (L) ma 2023-691
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1313 SYNOPSIS:
1414 Under existing law, an adult with a disability
1515 may be the subject of a guardianship or
1616 conservatorship.
1717 Also under existing law, an adult with a
1818 guardianship or conservatorship may not make certain
1919 major decisions for himself or herself. The guardian or
2020 conservator generally holds the decision-making
2121 authority.
2222 This bill would provide that, in lieu of a
2323 guardianship or conservatorship, an adult may enter
2424 into a supported decision-making agreement with
2525 supporters who may assist and advise the adult with
2626 making certain decisions without impeding the adult's
2727 self-determination.
2828 This bill would also provide for the procedures
2929 and limitations related to a supported decision-making
3030 agreement.
3131 A BILL
3232 TO BE ENTITLED
3333 AN ACT
3434 Relating to guardianships and conservatorships; to
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6464 create the Colby Act; to provide for a supported
6565 decision-making agreement as an alternative to a guardianship
6666 or conservatorship; and to provide the scope and limitations
6767 of a supported decision-making agreement.
6868 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
6969 Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as
7070 the Colby Act.
7171 Section 2. For the purposes of this act, the following
7272 terms have the following meanings:
7373 (1) SUPPORTED DECISION-MAKING. The process of
7474 supporting and accommodating an adult in the decision-making
7575 process without impeding the self-determination of the adult.
7676 This term includes assistance in making, communicating, and
7777 effectuating life decisions.
7878 (2) SUPPORTED DECISION-MAKING AGREEMENT. A written
7979 agreement detailing decision-making supports and
8080 accommodations that an adult chooses to receive from one or
8181 more supporters.
8282 (3) SUPPORTER. An individual at least 18 years of age
8383 who has voluntarily entered into a supported decision-making
8484 agreement with an adult and is designated as such in a
8585 supported decision-making agreement.
8686 Section 3. (a) An adult may not enter into a supported
8787 decision-making agreement as an alternative to guardianship or
8888 conservatorship unless the adult meets both of the following
8989 conditions:
9090 (1) The adult enters into the agreement voluntarily and
9191 without coercion or undue influence.
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121121 (2) The adult understands the nature and effect of the
122122 agreement.
123123 (b) An adult may make, change, or revoke a supported
124124 decision-making agreement.
125125 (c) A court may not consider an adult's execution of a
126126 supported decision-making agreement as evidence of the adult's
127127 incapacity. The existence of an executed supported
128128 decision-making agreement does not preclude the adult from
129129 acting independently of the supported decision-making
130130 agreement.
131131 (d) An adult may not enter into a supported
132132 decision-making agreement under this section if the agreement
133133 supplants the authority of a guardian or conservator of the
134134 adult.
135135 Section 4. (a) A supporter shall do all of the
136136 following:
137137 (1) Support the will and preference of the adult and
138138 not the supporter's opinion of the adult's best interest.
139139 (2) Act honestly, diligently, and in good faith.
140140 (3) Act within the scope set forth in the adult's
141141 supported decision-making agreement.
142142 (4) Avoid conflicts of interest.
143143 (5) Timely notify the adult in writing, in the adult's
144144 preferred language and mode of communication, of his or her
145145 intent to resign as a supporter.
146146 (b) A supporter is a fiduciary and shall make and
147147 communicate decisions in cooperation with the adult and
148148 preserve the adult's authority to make decisions.
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178178 (c) A supporter shall not do any of the following:
179179 (1) Exert undue influence upon the adult.
180180 (2) Receive a fee or compensation for services
181181 performed in the role of supporter.
182182 (3) Obtain, without the consent of the adult,
183183 information for a purpose other than assisting the adult in
184184 making a specific decision authorized by the supported
185185 decision-making agreement.
186186 (4) Obtain, without the consent of the adult, nonpublic
187187 personal information, as defined by 15 U.S.C. ยง 6809(4).
188188 (5) Act outside the scope of authority provided in the
189189 supported decision-making agreement.
190190 (d) A supporter who is expressly given relevant
191191 authority in a power of attorney may act within the scope of
192192 that authority to sign instructions or other documents on
193193 behalf of the adult, or to communicate or implement decisions
194194 made by the adult.
195195 (e) A request or decision made or communicated with the
196196 assistance of a supporter in conformity with the supported
197197 decision-making agreement shall be recognized as the request
198198 or decision of the adult for the purposes of any provision of
199199 law.
200200 Section 5. (a) A supported decision-making agreement
201201 shall meet all of the following requirements:
202202 (1) Name at least one supporter.
203203 (2) Describe the decision-making assistance that each
204204 supporter may provide to the adult and how supporters may work
205205 together.
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235235 (3) If the adult is subject to a limited guardianship
236236 or conservatorship as provided by Section 6, be executed by
237237 the adult's guardian or conservator.
238238 (4) Be in writing, dated, and signed by the adult in
239239 the presence of a notary public.
240240 (5) Contain a separate consent signed by each supporter
241241 named in the agreement indicating each of the following:
242242 a. The supporter's relationship to the adult.
243243 b. The supporter's willingness to act as a supporter.
244244 c. The supporter's acknowledgment of his or her duties
245245 as a supporter.
246246 (b) A supported decision-making agreement may do any of
247247 the following:
248248 (1) Appoint more than one supporter.
249249 (2) Appoint an alternate supporter to act in the place
250250 of a supporter under circumstances specified in the agreement.
251251 (3) Authorize a supporter to share information with any
252252 other supporter or others named in the agreement.
253253 Section 6. (a) An adult may revoke a supported
254254 decision-making agreement at any time. A revocation under this
255255 section shall be in writing, and a copy of the revocation
256256 shall be provided to each supporter.
257257 (b) Except as provided in the supported decision-making
258258 agreement, a supported decision-making agreement terminates in
259259 each the following situations:
260260 (1) The adult who is the subject of the supported
261261 decision-making agreement dies.
262262 (2) The adult who is the subject of the supported
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292292 decision-making agreement revokes the agreement under
293293 subsection (a).
294294 (3) All of the named supporters withdraw their
295295 participation without arranging for successor supporters
296296 approved by the adult.
297297 (4) A court of competent jurisdiction determines that
298298 the adult does not have the capacity to execute or consent to
299299 a supported decision-making agreement.
300300 (5) A court of competent jurisdiction determines that a
301301 supporter has used the supported decision-making agreement to
302302 financially exploit, abuse, or neglect the adult.
303303 (6) A court of competent jurisdiction appoints a
304304 temporary or permanent guardian or conservator for the person
305305 or property of the adult, unless the court's order of
306306 appointment does each of the following:
307307 a. Expressly modifies, but continues, the supported
308308 decision-making agreement alongside a partial guardianship or
309309 conservatorship.
310310 b. Limits the powers and duties of the guardian or
311311 conservator.
312312 (7) The adult signs a valid durable power of attorney,
313313 except to the extent that the power of attorney expressly
314314 continues, in whole or in part, the supported decision-making
315315 agreement.
316316 (c) The court may enter an order pursuant to
317317 subdivision (b)(4), (b)(5), or (b)(6) only after providing
318318 notice and a hearing to the adult and all supporters named in
319319 the agreement.
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349349 Section 7. A supported decision-making agreement that
350350 complies with Section 5 is presumed valid. A party may rely on
351351 the presumption of validity unless the party has actual
352352 knowledge that the supported decision-making agreement was not
353353 validly executed.
354354 Section 8. (a) A person who in good faith relies on an
355355 authorization in a supported decision-making agreement is not
356356 subject to discipline for unprofessional conduct.
357357 (b) This section does not apply to a person whose act
358358 or omission amounts to fraud, misrepresentation, recklessness,
359359 or willful or wanton misconduct.
360360 Section 9. (a) The meaning and effect of a supported
361361 decision-making agreement is determined by the law of the
362362 jurisdiction in which the supported decision-making agreement
363363 was executed, unless the supported decision-making agreement
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365365 (b) A person who receives a copy of a supported
366366 decision-making agreement or is aware of the existence of a
367367 supported decision-making agreement and reasonably believes
368368 that an adult is being abused, neglected, or exploited shall
369369 report the alleged abuse, neglect, or exploitation to an adult
370370 protective services agency or an authorized law enforcement
371371 agency.
372372 Section 10. This act shall become effective on the
373373 first day of the third month following its passage and
374374 approval by the Governor, or its otherwise becoming law.
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