Responsibilities of appointed guardians passed

Legislators passed a bill April 23 that specifies the duties of a guardian appointed to represent juveniles in court.

LB15, introduced by Omaha Sen. Bob Krist, requires a guardian ad litem to follow guidelines established by the Nebraska Supreme Court. Responsibilities include consulting with the assigned juvenile in person unless other methods are approved, attending all hearings, limiting their own caseloads and submitting itemized billing statements. The bill also permits guardians ad litem to be compensated on a per-case or multi-case contract basis.

The bill also requires the Supreme Court to codify the guidelines into court rules by July 1, 2015, and requires a guardian to:
• consult with the assigned juvenile within two weeks of placement;
• conduct consultations every three months;
• use telephonic or other electronic means for consultations when exceptional circumstances prohibit in-person meetings;
• submit written reports at dispositional, review or permanency planning hearings; and
• submit itemized statements for multi-case contracts.

Senators passed the bill with an emergency clause on a 47-0 vote.