The Florida Senate

744.708  Reports and standards.--

(1)  The public guardian shall keep and maintain proper financial, case control, and statistical records on all matters in which the public guardian serves as guardian.

(2)  No report or disclosure of the ward's personal and medical records shall be made, except as authorized by law.

(3)  A public guardian shall file an annual report on the operations of the office of public guardian, in writing, by September 1 for the preceding fiscal year with the chief judge of the judicial circuit who shall have responsibility for supervision of the operations of the office of public guardian.

(4)  Within 6 months of his or her appointment as guardian of a ward, the public guardian shall submit to the chief judge of the circuit a report on his or her efforts to locate a family member or friend, other person, bank, or corporation to act as guardian of the ward and a report on the ward's potential to be restored to capacity.

(5)  An independent audit by a qualified certified public accountant shall be performed at least every 2 years. The audit should include an investigation into the practices of the office for managing the person and property of the wards.

(6)  The public guardian shall ensure that each ward is seen by a professional staff person at least four times a year.

(7)  The ratio for professional staff to wards shall be 1 professional to 40 wards. The chief judge of the circuit upon application of the public guardian, or upon the court's own motion, may enlarge or recede from the ratio for good cause.

(8)  The term "professional," for purposes of this part, shall not include the public guardian. The term "professional" shall be limited to those persons who exercise direct supervision of individual wards under the direction of the public guardian.

History.--s. 1, ch. 86-120; s. 103, ch. 89-96; s. 17, ch. 96-354; s. 1791, ch. 97-102.