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Senate committee reviews guardianship bill adding special immigrant juvenile language and removing fees for investigators
Summary
The Senate Judiciary Committee heard Assembly Bill 65, which would update Nevada guardianship statutes to reflect federal special immigrant juvenile requirements, expand investigators' duties and remove fees for guardianship investigators to obtain vital records.
The Senate Judiciary Committee heard Assembly Bill 65, a reprint that sponsors said continues a multi-year guardianship reform effort. The bill would revise Nevada's guardianship statutes to incorporate language required for federal special immigrant juvenile status, expand investigators' powers to assess proposed guardians' ability to meet a protected person's needs, and remove a statutory cap on staff at the Administrative Office of the Courts' guardianship office.
John McCormick, assistant court administrator at the Administrative Office of the Courts, told the committee the revisions clarify the investigators' responsibilities, explicitly bar governmental entities from charging guardianship investigators for vital records, and permit alternative methods of service in guardianship proceedings when the court finds good cause. "We've experienced at the AOC with compliance being in the name of the office that we've had folks believe the office has authority to oversee guardianship judges," McCormick said; the bill changes the office name in statute to avoid that misunderstanding.
Special immigrant juvenile status and age carve-outs
A notable change in the draft is language addressing special immigrant juvenile status. Presenters explained that federal rules for special immigrant juvenile (SIJ) petitions require certain state-law guardianship findings and that the draft adds SIJ-related provisions into chapter 159A (minor guardianships). The draft language extends certain SIJ-related protections to persons through age 21 when seeking SIJ status, a provision senators questioned. Senator Hanson asked why minors could be treated as up to 21 for SIJ purposes; McCormick replied that the age threshold reflects federal requirements attached to SIJ adjudications and that Nevada statute must align with that federal program.
Support and public comment
Jonathan Norman of the Nevada Coalition of Legal Service Providers said legal service providers, including legal aid groups, support the bill. A caller identified as Frank Ivanov opposed the bill on grounds that extending certain protections to people up to age 21 was confusing; he urged deleting the age language.
Next steps and technical changes
Committee members asked for additional clarification on SIJ and whether any other guardianship provisions extend an "under-18" minor definition. Presenters indicated they would follow up with research and additional detail for members. The hearing concluded with no vote taken.
Ending
AB65 is a technical, multi-part guardianship update tied to ongoing reforms and federal compliance requirements. Committee members requested follow-up detail on SIJ age provisions and the interplay between state guardianship procedures and federal SIJ adjudications before further action.
