H 1623 Massachusetts House · 193rd Legislature (2023-2024)

An Act further regulating the appointment of certain guardians

This bill amends Massachusetts law to update the order of priority for appointing guardians for incapacitated individuals. It establishes a specific hierarchy where spouses, parents, or their designated nominees are presumed to be the most suitable candidates, though this preference can be overturned with strong evidence. The legislation allows spouses and parents to freely choose a third party to serve as guardian, ensuring that their selected choice is also given a presumption of suitability. Ultimately, the bill clarifies the legal framework for courts when deciding who should care for adults who cannot manage their own affairs.
Bill status passed 3 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2023
Committee Review
Feb 2023
Senate Passage
Feb 2023
Governor
Introduced Feb 16, 2023 Last action Jun 5, 2024
Floor votes

How they voted

This bill passed the Senate. No roll call record of that vote is available.
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
4
Key actions
1
Committee
1
Feb 16, 2023
Upper · Passed
Senate concurred
upper
Feb 16, 2023
Committee
Referred to the committee on The Judiciary
lower
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of David Linsky
David Linsky
DDemocratic
MA
5th Middlesex