Senators on the floor adopted committee amendments to Senate Bill 20-29, which would establish an Office of Guardianship and Conservatorship (OGC) consolidating several guardianship programs under the Supreme Court and provide one-time funding to start the office.

Senator Jim Paulson, carrier of the bill and Judiciary Committee sponsor, said the bill brings together "eight different guardianship programs in three different agencies with seven different funding sources" into a single OGC under the Supreme Court and incorporates recommendations from multiple interim studies. He described the amendment package as addressing licensing, investigation, conflict-of-interest concerns and an arm’s-length hiring and oversight structure. "The operations committee consists of an attorney and a retired judge appointed by the State Bar Association, a Department of Human Services appointee, a public member appointed by the Supreme Court and the state court administrator," Paulson said. "That committee and not the court will hire the director of the OGC, develop and submit the budgets, adopt the policies for the operation of the OGC."

The amendment also: clarifies which programs are administered by the OGC; allows investigation counsel to share suspected criminal activity with the Attorney General and BCI; specifies who may advertise as licensed guardians or conservators; and creates an exception to licensing for family guardians and conservators. The amendment package includes one-time funding to establish the OGC.

Senator Lee asked why a guardian representative was not included on the operations committee; Paulson said the selection was a collaborative decision by the task force and interim government finance committee. The Judiciary Committee unanimously approved the amendments and the floor adopted them on a voice vote. After the amendment was adopted, Senator Klein moved to re-refer Senate Bill 20-29 to the Appropriations Committee; the motion prevailed on a voice vote.

Why it matters: the bill consolidates functions now spread across agencies into an OGC and establishes a licensing, investigative and adjudicative framework. Sponsors said the change aims to improve guardianship oversight, accountability and protections for people under guardianship. The amendment’s arm’s-length operations committee is intended to address conflict-of-interest concerns about locating the OGC under the Supreme Court.

Next steps: the bill, as amended, was re-referred to the Appropriations Committee for consideration of the one-time startup funding included in the amendment.