North Dakota’s newly established Office of Guardianship and Conservatorship opened its doors on April 1 and has already logged more than 80 referrals, offering a centralized mechanism for reviewing protective arrangements across the state, KFYR reported.
Senate Bill 2029 Establishes an Independent Oversight Body
Created by lawmakers during the 2025 legislative session under Senate Bill 2029, the Office of Guardianship and Conservatorship operates independently. This setup marks a departure from how most states handle similar oversight. While other jurisdictions typically house guardianship monitoring within health and human services departments or inside the court system itself, North Dakota chose to build a standalone agency.
Rachel Sinness leads a six-person team tasked with ensuring that guardians and conservators adhere to strict standards. These rules are designed to protect the autonomy and basic rights of vulnerable adults, ensuring that financial and personal decisions mirror what the protected individual would choose for themselves. Sinness stepped into the role in November 2025, with the remainder of the staff joining the agency in late March and early April.
The operational scope differs significantly from the previous court monitoring program managed by the judiciary. Under the old system, staff could only accept referrals originating directly from the courts. The new office broadens that intake channel substantially.
“We also take those from the public and other agencies. If a family member is concerned a guardian is exploiting a loved one, that individual can also call our office and ask that we take up an investigation,” Sinness said.
How the Office Processes Referrals and Handles Investigations
Operating out of the 14th floor of the Capitol—with plans to eventually move to the Liberty Memorial Building—the agency functions as a centralized intake hub. Referrals arrive from courts, state agencies, concerned family members, and occasionally from individuals currently living under a guardianship.
The compact staff includes a legal director, two guardianship case monitors who serve as investigators, a fiscal officer managing state funding sources and eligibility, and an administrative assistant. When cases require deeper examination beyond administrative review, the office collaborates directly with the Bureau of Criminal Investigation under the Attorney General’s office.
Most of the initial 80-plus referrals have been resolved internally. Many involved minor administrative paperwork errors, such as a missing line item on a mandatory annual report that guardians and conservators must file with the court. When judges spot discrepancies during regular filings, they can route those cases straight to the office for review. While minor reporting oversights are cleared up quickly, other matters have yielded formal recommendations to district courts or referrals to the BCI.
The agency also fields direct inquiries from citizens. Staff members are available by telephone to answer questions concerning guardianship and conservatorship rules. Additional resources and public information can be accessed through the North Dakota Office of Guardianship and Conservatorship website.
