ND HB1041

Appropriates $828,600 from the general fund to the office of management and budget for grants to counties providing public or private guardianship services for the biennium July 1, 2013 through June 30, 2015.

Eligible wards must be incapacitated adults with income at or below 100 percent of the federal poverty level or be medicaid-eligible; excludes wards with developmental disabilities receiving case management services through the department of human services.

Counties must pay 50 percent of the monthly guardianship rate for pre-July 1, 2013 guardianships from grant funds and contribute the other 50 percent from property tax revenue, limited to a maximum of one-tenth of one mill through June 30, 2015.

Appropriates $70,000 from the general fund to the North Dakota Supreme Court for developing and delivering guardianship training to guardians and public administrators during the same biennium period.

Passed with strong bipartisan support: House vote 89-3 (2 absent), Senate vote 44-0 (3 absent).