North DakotaState office oversees guardianship services and licenses providers
A state office oversees guardianship services, investigates complaints, and sets limits on who may serve several adults or offer these services to the public.
What it does
Courts may bar guardians and conservators removed for good cause from serving again by listing them on a state registry. Licensed providers are excepted, with a separate rule for revoked licenses.
A state office oversees guardianship and conservatorship services, licenses providers, and investigates complaints. Its work is funded in part by a $1.2 million state appropriation and four staff positions for the 2025–27 budget period.
People generally need a license or agency permit to serve three or more adults at once or offer guardianship or conservatorship services to the public. Family appointments and certain organizations are exempt.
Argument forA statewide office and review board could give adults and families a place to raise concerns about guardians and conservators.
Argument againstPeople serving several adults could have to get a license or permit, even if they have no finding of misconduct.
More detail
A court may list certain removed guardians and conservators on a registry, barring them from serving again. A person on the registry cannot serve as a guardian or conservator in any proceeding. The court may list someone only after removing them for good cause. This registry rule does not apply to licensed guardians or conservators, including those whose licenses are suspended; it excludes people whose licenses are revoked.
The state office oversees guardianship and conservatorship services, licenses providers, and investigates complaints. The office oversees programs, develops eligibility policies, monitors services, and may license guardians, conservators, and agency permit holders. The office may hire staff within legislative appropriations and may set fees to support its work. Office staff may investigate complaints and the review board may conduct disciplinary proceedings; the office and its staff may not act as public guardians or conservators in their official roles. The appropriation and positions cover July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2027.
A person generally must be licensed or have an agency permit to serve three or more adults at once or offer guardianship or conservatorship services to the public. The limits cover people serving adults as guardians or conservators and people offering those services to the public. A person appointed to serve a family member is exempt from the three-or-more-adults limit. The section does not apply to state or federal agencies, certain financial institutions acting as conservators, or human service zones. A violation committed after August 1, 2026, is a class B misdemeanor.
Where do you stand?
Choose your position
Tell your reps
Take a position to see your representatives and ways to contact them.
Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed Senate
- Passed House
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2025
- Jun 11Filed with Secretary Of State 05/02Latest
- May 2Signed by Governor Kelly Armstrong 05/02Became Law
- May 1Sent to GovernorTo Governor
- May 1Signed by President
- May 1Signed by Speaker
- Apr 28Second reading, passed as amended, yeas 91 nays 0Major
- Vote recorded Motion for Final Passage on SB 2029. Result: pass.Lower
- Apr 28Conference committee report adopted
- Apr 25Reported back from conference committee, in place of, placed on calendarMinor
- Vote recorded Motion for Final Passage on SB 2029. Result: pass.Upper
- Apr 25Second reading, passed, yeas 40 nays 5Major
- Apr 25Conference committee report adopted
- Apr 25Reported back from conference committee, in place of, placed on calendarMinor
- Apr 24Conference committee appointed Frelich Hendrix Hanson
- Apr 22Conference committee appointed Paulson Myrdal Braunberger
- Apr 22Refused to concur
- Apr 21Returned to Senate (12)
- Vote recorded Motion for Final Passage on SB 2029. Result: pass.Lower
- Apr 21Second reading, passed as amended, yeas 92 nays 1Passed House
- Apr 18Amendment adopted, placed on calendar
- Apr 17Reported back amended, do pass, amendment placed on calendar 22 0 1Minor
- Apr 4Rereferred to Appropriations
- Apr 4Amendment adopted
- Apr 3Reported back amended, do pass, amendment placed on calendar 10 2 1Minor
- Mar 18Committee Hearing 02:30
- Mar 10Committee Hearing 09:00
- Feb 25Introduced, first reading, referred Human Services CommitteeMinor
- Feb 24Received from Senate
- Feb 21Second reading, passed, yeas 24 nays 23Passed Senate
- Vote recorded Motion for Final Passage on SB 2029. Result: pass.Upper
- Feb 21Amendment adopted, placed on calendar
- Feb 20Reported back amended, do pass, amendment placed on calendar 10 6 0Minor
- Feb 7Rereferred to Appropriations
- Feb 7Amendment adopted, placed on calendar
- Feb 6Reported back amended, do pass, amendment placed on calendar 7 0 0Minor
- Jan 28Committee Hearing 08:00
- Jan 13Committee Hearing 03:00
- Jan 13Committee Hearing 11:30
- Jan 7Introduced, first reading, referred Judiciary CommitteeIntroduced
Government & EthicsDisability Rights