A new state office would offer legal guardianship for elderly and disabled Nebraskans who lack other options under a bill advanced from general file Feb 21.<\/p>\n
LB920, introduced by Lincoln Sen. Colby Coash, would adopt the Public Guardianship Act, which would establish an office to serve as guardian or conservator in situations in which no family member or suitable individual is available. The office also would provide education, training and support to current and future guardians and conservators.<\/p>\n
The bill would create the Office of Public Guardian under the jurisdiction of the Nebraska State Court Administrator and would establish a director, deputy public guardian and up to 12 associate guardians.<\/p>\n
A Judicial Committee amendment, adopted 33-0, would create the Public Guardianship Cash Fund. The amendment also removed proposed immunity provisions for staff members and added knowledge of intellectual disabilities as a requirement of the new public guardian.<\/p>\n
Coash said Nebraska is the only state in the country without a guardianship office because the volunteer system has worked well.<\/p>\n
\u201cNebraskans take care of our own,\u201d he said. \u201cBut as the last state, what we\u2019re going to find is a growing need [for volunteers] and a diminished capacity.\u201d<\/p>\n
The lack of available guardians has forced the courts to sometimes select unqualified conservators, he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis gap has led to some pretty horrendous things that have happened to people across our state in every district,\u201d Coash said, citing a state audit report that revealed that a single person had been made a legal guardian for more than 600 people.<\/p>\n
Omaha Sen. Bob Krist supported the bill, saying LB920 is especially important for parents of children with special needs.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s always a concern,\u201d Krist said, \u201cWho will be there to take care of them? Who will be there to speak for them?\u201d<\/p>\n
The bill was advanced to select file on a 34-0 vote.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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