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the court to ensure that incapacitated persons and their estates are protected regardless of their individual capacity to access the courts. Providing independent legal representation for individuals named in proceedings initiated under the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code is essential to the administration of justice and operation of courts so that an individual named in such proceedings, regardless of resources, is afforded counsel that is free of conflicting duties and charged with insuring compliance with the Code's requirements, which is a necessary safeguard to prevent the mental health and developmental disabilities systems from become a tool to oppress rather than serve society. To defray the expense of maintaining and operating the divisions and programs of the Guardianship and Advocacy Commission and to support viable guardianship and advocacy programs throughout the State, each circuit court clerk must remit a portion of the filing and appearance fees, as provided in Section 27.1b of the Clerk of Courts Act, to the State Treasurer for deposit into the Guardianship and Advocacy Fund. All fees or other monies received by the Guardianship and Advocacy Commission incident to the provision of legal or guardianship services to eligible persons or wards pursuant to subsection (i) of Section 5 of the Guardianship and Advocacy Act shall be paid into the Guardianship and Advocacy Fund. Appropriations for the improvement, development, addition or expansion of legal and guardianship services for eligible SB3019 Enrolled LRB104 20255 HLH 33706 b Public Act 104-0468