Senate Judiciary Committee hears broad revisions to guardianship and conservatorship law in SB 2291

Madam Chair Larson and members of the Senate Judiciary Committee heard testimony on Senate Bill 2291, a package of statutory changes to North Dakota guardianship and conservatorship law, on the record during a committee hearing. The bill was introduced by Senator Mike Dwyer on behalf of the State Court Administrator’s Office and was presented in detail by Sarah Behrens, staff attorney with the State Court Administrator’s Office and staff to the guardianship standards work group.

The bill reorganizes and clarifies multiple provisions across chapter 30.1-26 and related sections. “The proposed amendments are intended to clarify procedures in guardianships and conservatorships,” Behrens told the committee, saying the measure is largely tidy, procedural “clean up” rather than the other, larger guardianship bill currently under separate consideration.

SB 2291 would move definitions into a single location in chapter 30.1-26 to avoid cross-referencing multiple chapters and would (among other changes) do the following: allow limited 90‑day extensions of letters of guardianship in juvenile matters when hearings cannot be scheduled on time and require new letters to reflect the extended expiration; consolidate and standardize notice provisions that apply after appointment; make guardian, conservator and related reports (expert examiner, visitor, annual, final and financial reports) confidential; require…