2019 Connecticut General Statutes
Title 45a - Probate Courts and Procedure
Chapter 802h - Protected Persons and Their Property
Section 45a-674 - (Formerly Sec. 45-326). Hearing for appointment of guardian. Evidence. Report by assessment team. Cross-examination of witnesses. Payment of fees for assessment team. Exception to report or testimony requirement.
(a) At any hearing for appointment of a plenary guardian or limited guardian, the court shall receive evidence as to the condition of the respondent, including a written report or testimony by a Department of Developmental Services assessment team appointed by the Commissioner of Developmental Services or his or her designee, no member of which is related by blood, marriage or adoption to either the petitioner or the respondent and each member of which has personally observed or examined the respondent within forty-five days next preceding such hearing. The assessment team shall be comprised of at least two representatives from among appropriate disciplines having expertise in the evaluation of persons alleged to have intellectual disability. The assessment team members shall make their report on a form provided for that purpose by the office of the Probate Court Administrator and shall answer questions on such form as fully and completely as possible. The report shall contain specific information regarding the severity of the intellectual disability of the respondent and those specific areas, if any, in which the respondent needs the supervision and protection of a guardian, and shall state upon the form the reasons for such opinions. The petitioner, respondent or the respondent's counsel shall have the right to present evidence and cross-examine witnesses who testify at any hearing on the petition. If the respondent or the respondent's counsel notifies the court not less than three days before the hearing that he or she wishes to cross-examine the witnesses, the court shall order such witnesses to appear. The fees for such assessment team shall be paid from funds appropriated to the Department of Developmental Services.
(b) The written report or testimony by the assessment team shall not be required for a hearing on the appointment of a plenary guardian or limited guardian if the individual has been determined ineligible for services of the Department of Developmental Services by the commissioner or his or her designee, provided such denial of eligibility is based on the determination that the individual does not have intellectual disability as defined in section 1-1g. A copy of the eligibility determination letter indicating that the basis of ineligibility is the absence of intellectual disability, as defined in section 1-1g, shall be provided to the Probate Court in lieu of a report by the assessment team and no further assessment by the team shall be required.
(P.A. 82-337, S. 7; P.A. 86-323, S. 5; P.A. 03-51, S. 4; P.A. 04-211, S. 1; P.A. 07-73, S. 2(a), (b); P.A. 11-129, S. 9; P.A. 16-49, S. 5; P.A. 18-32, S. 37.)
History: P.A. 86-323 substituted “plenary guardian” for “guardian of the mentally retarded person”, substituted an examination by department of mental retardation assessment team in lieu of physician and psychologist, and required examination within 45 days of hearing, and replaced previous provisions re payment of fees by petitioner or mental retardation department if petitioner is indigent with new provision; Sec. 45-326 transferred to Sec. 45a-674 in 1991; (Revisor's note: In 1997 a reference to “Commissioner of the Department of Mental Retardation” was replaced editorially by the Revisors with “Commissioner of Mental Retardation” for consistency with customary statutory usage); P.A. 03-51 substituted “person with mental retardation” for “mentally retarded person”; P.A. 04-211 changed from three to two the minimum number of assessment team members; pursuant to P.A. 07-73 “Commissioner of Mental Retardation” and “Department of Mental Retardation” were changed editorially by the Revisors to “Commissioner of Developmental Services” and “Department of Developmental Services”, effective October 1, 2007; P.A. 11-129 substituted “intellectual disability” for “mental retardation” and “have intellectual disability” for “be mentally retarded”; P.A. 16-49 deleted “of the person with intellectual disability” re appointment of plenary or limited guardian, replaced “applicant” with “petitioner” and made technical and conforming changes; P.A. 18-32 designated existing provisions re hearing for appointment of plenary guardian or limited guardian and assessment team as Subsec. (a), and added Subsec. (b) re when report or testimony by assessment team not required, effective May 24, 2018.
