(a) The Commissioner of Social Services may petition the Probate Court for an order to enter the premises of an elderly person for purposes of an assessment when the commissioner has reasonable cause to believe that the elderly person may be in need of protective services and is refused access by the elderly person or another individual.

(b) The commissioner shall document in the Department of Social Service's investigation file the factors considered when making the decision about whether to petition for an order to enter the premises.

(c) The commissioner shall state in the petition for an order to enter the premises that the order is being sought solely for the purpose of assessing whether the elderly person is in need of protective services and shall include, to the extent the facts can be ascertained with reasonable diligence, the following information:

(1) The name and address of the elderly person who may be in need of protective services and the premises on which this person may be found, if different;

(2) The reason for the belief that the elderly person may be in need of protective services, which may include information provided by other agencies or individuals who are familiar with the elderly person;

(3) The name and address, if known, of the individual or individuals who are responsible for preventing access to the elderly person;

(4) Previous efforts that have been made to enter the premises of the elderly person who may need protective services;

(5) The names of any individuals, such as the department's social worker, and any other health or mental health professionals, who may participate in the assessment of whether the elderly person needs protective services;

(6) The manner by which the assessment will be conducted; and

(7) Whether there has been a prior petition to the Probate Court to enter the premises of the elderly person, or for any similar relief, and, if so, the determination of such petition, and new facts, if any, that were not in the previous petition, which support submission of another petition.

(d) Any allegations of abuse, neglect, exploitation or abandonment that are not based on the commissioner's personal knowledge shall be based on the personal knowledge of the person reporting the abuse, neglect, exploitation or abandonment or the personal knowledge of any other person who has information relating to the report. Whenever possible, the allegations that are not based on the commissioner's knowledge shall be supported by an affidavit under penalty of perjury of the person having such knowledge and shall be attached to the petition.

(e) If the Probate Court finds that (1) there is reasonable cause to believe that an elderly person is at risk of imminent physical or mental harm and may be found at the premises described in the petition, (2) such person may be in need of protective services, and (3) access to such person has been refused, the court shall grant the petition and issue an order, ex parte and without prior notice, authorizing the commissioner, accompanied by a police officer or other law enforcement official, and any other person the commissioner determines necessary to enter the premises to conduct an assessment to determine whether the elderly person named in the petition is in need of protective services. The ex parte order shall expire ten days after the order is issued.

(f) The provisions of this section shall not be construed to authorize the commissioner to remove any person from the premises described in the petition, or to provide any involuntary protective services to any person, other than to assess an elderly person's need for protective services. Nothing in this section shall be construed to impair any existing right or remedy under law for any person subject to the provisions of this section.

(P.A. 15-233, S. 9.)

History: P.A. 15-233 effective July 1, 2015.