HF1653 Summary

• Permits the commissioner of human services to access children's mental health screening results for program evaluation and improvement purposes, while classifying individual screening results as private data.

• Changes terminology throughout public guardianship statutes from "ward" to "person subject to public guardianship" and clarifies that public guardianship is a last resort to be imposed only when less restrictive alternatives have been attempted and determined insufficient.

• Requires that persons subject to public guardianship be included in the nomination process prior to submission and adds "supported decision making" and "health care agent" as defined less restrictive alternatives to public guardianship.

• Modifies public guardianship petition requirements to require demonstration that the person lacks sufficient understanding to make personal decisions and cannot meet personal needs even with technological and supported decision-making assistance.

• Adds new definitions for "protected person," "respondent," and "supported decision making" and repeals obsolete provisions regarding "public conservator" and "conservatee" terminology.