(a) The commissioner of administration may establish by regulation a schedule of reasonable fees for the costs of the public guardian's services. The fee schedule established may be based upon the ability of the ward or protected person to pay for guardian services but may not exceed the actual cost of providing public guardian services. The office of public advocacy shall charge and collect the fees established under this subsection, but may waive collection of a fee upon a finding that collection is not economically feasible or in the public interest.

(b) [Repealed, § 79 ch 63 SLA 1993.]

(c) The public guardian may investigate the financial status of (1) a person who requests the appointment of the public guardian as the person's guardian or conservator; and (2) a ward for whom a court has appointed the public guardian.

(d) The public guardian may require a person described in (c) of this section to execute and deliver written requests or authorizations necessary under law to provide the public guardian with access to records of public or private sources, otherwise confidential, needed to evaluate the person's financial eligibility. The public guardian may, upon request and without payment of fees otherwise required by law, obtain information from any office of the state or of a political subdivision or agency of the state that possesses public records.

(e) Before the office of public advocacy releases a ward's funds following the termination of the public guardian's appointment, the office may collect from the ward's funds held by the office the reasonable value of the services rendered without cost to the ward or protected person.

(f) The annual estimated balance in the account maintained under AS 37.05.142 may be used by the legislature to make appropriations to the Department of Administration to carry out the purposes of AS 44.21.400 - 44.21.410 (office of public advocacy).