Am.
Sub. H.B. 53
127th General Assembly
(As Reported by S. Health, Human Services & Aging)
Reps. Peterson, Yuko, Skindell, Ujvagi, Setzer, Dodd, Bacon, Collier, Fende, Chandler, Strahorn, White, R. Hagan, Wachtmann, B. Williams, Boyd, Brown, DeBose, Flowers, Goodwin, Hottinger, Huffman, Jones, Oelslager, Raussen, Uecker, Webster, Adams, Aslanides, Batchelder, Beatty, Bolon, Book, Brady, Bubp, Budish, Carano, Celeste, Combs, DeGeeter, Distel, Dolan, Domenick, Driehaus, Dyer, Evans, Foley, Garrison, Gibbs, Goyal, Harwood, Heard, Hite, Hughes, Latta, Letson, Luckie, Lundy, Mallory, Mandel, R. McGregor, Miller, Okey, Patton, Sayre, Schindel, Schneider, Stebelton, D. Stewart, J. Stewart, Sykes, Wagoner, S. Williams, Yates
Sens. D. Miller, Cafaro, Morano, Padgett, Clancy
BILL SUMMARY
· Replaces certain terms in the Revised Code that refer to persons with certain conditions.
CONTENT AND OPERATION
The Revised Code uses a number of terms to refer to persons with certain conditions. These terms include "lunatic," "idiot," "imbecile," "drunkard," "deaf and dumb," and "insane." Many of the sections that contain these words have not been amended since the Code was reorganized in 1953.
The bill eliminates the majority of terms described above in current law and, in most (though not all) cases, replaces them with the term, "incompetent person."[1] The bill defines this term to mean "a person who is so mentally impaired as a result of a mental or physical illness or disability, mental retardation, or as a result of chronic substance abuse, that the person is incapable of taking proper care of the person's self or property or fails to provide for the person's family or other persons for whom the person is charged by law to provide." This definition is the same definition of "incompetent" in R.C. 2111.01 (the law governing guardianships), except that it excludes "any person confined to a correctional institution within this state."
The table, below, compares the terms in current law with the terms used in the bill. In a few sections, no replacement terms were added because the current language is unnecessary or repetitive and was, therefore, eliminated.
Sections with terms referring to persons with
certain conditions |
Current law |
The bill |
701.01 Definitions for
Revised Code Title VII |
Insane |
Language
stricken[2] |
711.23
Plats--application for vacation and assessment of damages |
Persons
of insane mind |
Incompetent person (new
definition)[3] |
1775.31
Dissolution of a partnership by court decree |
Lunatic |
Incompetent person (new
definition--see footnote 3) |
2111.37 Guardian for nonresident--property rights |
Incompetent[4] |
Same as current law |
2111.47
Termination of guardianship |
Insane person |
Incompetent person (see
footnote regarding R.C. 2111.01(D) below) |
2307.14
Civil actions‑‑compensation and grounds for replacement of
guardian ad litem or trustee |
Insane
person |
Incompetent person (new
definition--see footnote 3) |
2317.021
"Client"
defined; application of attorney-client privilege to dissolved corporation or
association |
Incompetent |
Incompetent person (new
definition--see footnote 3)[5] |
2317.03 Limitations on
testimony against a guardian or trustee |
Deaf and dumb or insane
person |
Incompetent person (new
definition--see footnote 3) |
2317.06
Proving testimony of absent witness |
Insane |
Language
stricken |
2721.05
Determination of rights or legal relations |
Lunatic |
Incompetent person (new
definition--see footnote 3) |
3763.06
Gaming--liability of property for losses occurring thereon |
Insane
person or idiot |
Incompetent person (new
definition--see footnote 3) |
4303.272 Safekeeping of liquor permits |
Insane |
Language
stricken |
4399.05
Liability of owner of premises used for the sale of intoxicating liquors |
Insane
person or idiot |
Incompetent person (new
definition--see footnote 3) |
4971.16
Reorganization of railroads |
Insane |
Incompetent person (new
definition--see footnote 3) |
5301.22
Effect of agreement with guardian |
Idiot,
lunatic, or insane person |
Incompetent person (new
definition--see footnote 3) |
5305.17
Real property--guardian may elect for surviving spouse |
Adjudged
insane |
Adjudged to be an
incompetent person (new definition--see footnote 3) |
5305.18
Real property--dower of incompetent person |
Insane person |
Incompetent person (new
definition--see footnote 3) |
5305.19
Real property--inquest of incompetence |
Permanently insane |
A permanently incompetent
person (new definition--see footnote 3) |
5305.20 Real property--proceedings on report of
inquest of incompetence |
Insane
person |
Incompetent person (new
definition--see footnote 3) |
5305.21
Real property--dower of an incompetent person may be barred |
Insane
person |
Incompetent person (new
definition--see footnote 3) |
5305.22
Real estate--conveyed free of dower if spouse is incompetent |
Insane |
Incompetent person (new
definition--see footnote 3) |
5307.19
Power of guardian to act for ward in partition |
Idiot, imbecile, or insane
person |
Incompetent person (new
definition--see footnote 3) |
5307.20
Power of foreign guardian |
Idiot or insane person |
Incompetent person (new definition--see
footnote 3) |
5310.12
Registration of land titles--limitation of actions |
Insane |
Incompetent person (new
definition--see footnote 3) |
5711.05 Returns of taxable property; fiduciary
returns |
Idiot or insane person |
Incompetent person (new
definition--see footnote 3) |
5711.07
Proper taxing district for listing property |
Insane |
Incompetent person (new
definition--see footnote 3) |
5907.06
Veterans home--person who cannot be admitted |
Insane
person |
Person with a mental
illness that causes the person to be dangerous to the community |
5907.08
Veterans home--proceedings |
Becomes insane |
Becomes dangerous to the
community due to a mental illness |
5907.09
Veterans--hearing by probate judge |
Determine the sanity of
the resident |
Determine the competence
of the resident |
(Section 3)
The bill includes a provision under which the General Assembly declares its intent that the bill's amendments to existing law are not substantive in nature but are intended to replace certain outdated terms with current, synonymous terms. The provision specifies that the bill's amendments are not to be construed to expand, impair, or otherwise affect any power, authority, duty, right, obligation, remedy, or liability contained in the statutes prior to the bill's effective date.
COMMENT
The bill replaces a number of different terms with a single term, "incompetent person," which is defined in a manner that may have a broader meaning than the terms that are being replaced. For example, the existing terms "insane" and "deaf and dumb" are not typically understood as terms that include persons who are impaired as a result of mental retardation or chronic substance abuse, whereas the bill's definition of "incompetent person" includes these additional populations. Although the bill includes a statement specifying that the use of the term "incompetent person" is not intended by the General Assembly to be a substantive change, there is no way to predict whether the statutes resulting from the bill will be implemented without expanding, diminishing, or otherwise changing the categories of persons to which those statutes currently apply.
HISTORY
ACTION |
DATE |
|
|
Introduced |
02-21-07 |
Reported, H. Health |
03-15-07 |
Passed House (98-0) |
03-27-07 |
Reported, S. Health, Human Services & Aging |
04-19-07 |
h0053-rs-127.doc/kl
[1] The bill does not change
the definition of "incompetent" used in R.C. 2111.37 and 2111.47
because R.C. 2111.01(D) currently defines "incompetent" for purposes
of R.C. Chapters 2111. through 2131. to mean "any person who is so
mentally impaired as a result of a mental or physical illness or disability, or
mental retardation, or as a result of chronic substance abuse, that the person
is incapable of taking proper care of the person's self or property or fails to
provide for the person's family or other persons for whom the person is charged
by law to provide, or any person confined to a correctional institution within
this state."
[2] The terms,
"insane" and "lunatic," are not used in Title VII. Therefore, there is no need for them to be
defined in R.C. 701.01.
[3] The bill defines
"incompetent person" as "a person who is so mentally impaired as
a result of a mental or physical illness or disability, mental retardation, or
as a result of chronic substance abuse, that the person is incapable of taking
proper care of the person's self or property or fails to provide for the person's
family or other persons for whom the person is charged by law to
provide." As stated above, this
definition is the same as the definition of "incompetent" in R.C.
2111.01 (law governing guardianships), except that it excludes "any person confined
to a correctional institution within this state."
[4] R.C. 2111.01(D)
defines "incompetent" in current law for purposes of R.C. Chapters
2111. through 2131. to mean "any person who is so mentally impaired as a
result of a mental or physical illness or disability, or mental retardation, or
as a result of chronic substance abuse, that the person is incapable of taking
proper care of the person's self or property or fails to provide for the
person's family or other persons for whom the person is charged by law to
provide, or any person confined to a correctional institution within this
state."
[5] R.C. 2317.021 also
defines "incompetent" as used in R.C. 2317.02 (law governing
privileged communications) and R.C. 2317.03 (law governing the limitations on
testimony against a guardian or trustee) to have the same meaning as
"incompetent person" described in the footnote above.