Senate approves Office of Guardianship and Conservatorship after hours of debate

Senate Bill 20‑29, which would create an Office of Guardianship and Conservatorship (OGC) under the North Dakota Supreme Court, passed the Senate 24–23 after nearly two hours of floor debate.

The bill’s sponsor, Senator Paulson, said the measure is intended to “address the lack of accountability and cohesiveness of guardianship programs and funding within our state.” The bill consolidates eight adult guardianship programs and multiple funding streams into a single OGC, charges the office with licensing professional guardians and conservators, centralizes complaint intake and investigations, and establishes administrative review and enforcement mechanisms.

Supporters said the change responds to documented abuses and the limits of the current patchwork system. Senator Paulson cited past federal criminal and civil cases involving a…