U.S. Supported Decision-Making Laws

In the United States, at least 37 States and the District of Columbia have passed legislation referring to Supported Decision-Making (SDM) in various ways.  Check out this map highlighting state trends.

A number of States across the country have passed comprehensive legislation related to Supported Decision-making Agreements. Below are links to these laws.  Each of these statutes created a legal framework for formal recognition of Supported Decision-Making (SDM) and includes various safeguards and protections.

• Alabama Supported Decision-Making Agreement Statute (2023)
• Alaska Supported Decision-Making Agreement Statute (2018)
• Arizona Supported Decision-Making Agreement Statute (2023)
• California Supported Decision-Making Agreement Statute (2022)
• Colorado Supported Decision-Making Agreement Statute (2021)
• Delaware Supported Decision-Making Agreement Statute (2015)
• District of Columbia Supported Decision-Making Agreement Statute (2018)
• Florida Supported Decision-Making Agreement Statute (2024)
• Illinois Supported Decision-Making Agreement Statute (2021)
• Indiana Supported Decision-Making Agreement Statute (2019)
• Louisiana Supported Decision-Making Agreement Statute (2020)
• Maryland Supported Decision-Making Agreement Statute (2022)
• Nevada Supported Decision-Making Agreement Statute (2019)
• New Hampshire Supported Decision-Making Agreement Statute (2021)
• New Mexico Supported Decision-Making Agreement Statute (2025)
• New York Supported Decision-Making Agreement Statute (2022)
• North Dakota Supported Decision-Making Agreement Statute (2019)
• Rhode Island Supported Decision-Making Agreement Statute (2019)
• Texas Supported Decision-Making Agreement Statute (2015)
• Utah Supported Decision-Making Agreement Statute (2025)
• Virginia Supported Decision-Making Agreement Statute (2020)
• Washington Supported Decision-Making Agreement Statute (2020)
• Wisconsin Supported Decision-Making Agreement Statute (2018)

SDM agreement legislation was introduced in Massachusetts in 2019 and reintroduced in 2021 and 2023. More information about CPR’s work on the Massachusetts legislation is available here.

Other States have passed laws that refer to Supported Decision-Making in other ways.  For example, some have focused SDM codification singularly on expressly requiring courts to consider it as a less-restrictive option before appointing a guardian or conservator, which is the approach taken by the current version of the model guardianship law, known as the Uniform Guardianship, Conservatorship, and Other Protective Arrangements Act.

• Kansas House Bill 2359 (2025)
• Me. Stat. tit. 18-C, §§ 5-102, -301, -304, -317, -401, -405, -502, -503, -506 (2019)
• Minn. Stat. §§ 524.5-310, -409 (2020)
• Mo. Rev. Stat. § 475.075(13) (2018)
• Mont. Code Ann. §§ 72-5-305(3), -316, -319 (2021)
• N.C. Gen. Stat. § 35A-1101(11a) (2024)
• Okla. Stat. tit. 30, § 1-111(13) (2021)

Other States have passed provisions of the Uniform Health-Care Decision Act, which expressly recognizes SDM as a reasonable accommodation relevant to a person’s capacity to make or revoke a health-care decision, a health-care instruction, or an appointment of an agent under a health-care power of attorney.

• Del. Code Ann. tit. 16, § 2503 (2025)
• Md. Code Ann., Health-Gen. § 5-601 (2024)
• Utah Senate Bill 134 (2025)

Other States have passed laws that formally recognize SDM within transition planning and transfer-of-rights discussions for students with disabilities approaching the age of majority.

• Conn. Gen. Stat. § 10-74s (2023)
• D.C. Code § 38-2571.04(b) (2015)
• Fla. Stat. Ann. § 1003.5716 (2024)
• In. Code § 20-35-6-4 (2023)
• La. Stat. Ann. § 17:1944 (2024)
• N.H. Rev. Stat. § 186-C:3-c (2022)
• Or. Rev. Stat. § 343.181(2) (2022)
• S.C. Code Ann. § 59-33-320
• Tex. Ed. Code Ann. § 29.011(a)(10) (2017)
• Wis. Stat. § 115.807 (2018)

Other States have passed laws that formally recognize SDM as an auxiliary aid and service to prevent discrimination in access to organ transplantation.

• Ala. Code § 22-19-203(d) (2023)
• Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 36-841(4) (2021)
• Ark. Code Ann. § 20-14-902(2) (2021)
• Del. Code Ann. tit. 16, § 2742(8) (2017)
• Fla. Stat. Ann. § 765.523 (2020)
• Ga. Code Ann. § 31-1-24(a)(2)(C) & (b)(6) (2021)
• Kan. Stat. Ann. § 65-3276 (h)(2) (2022)
• La. Stat. Ann. § 40:1170.2 (2019) 
• Md. Code Ann., Health-Gen § 20-1601(c) (2015)
• Minn. Stat. Ann. § 363A.50.1(c) (2022)
• Miss. Code Ann. §§ 43-6-255(b)(iii) & 43-6-257(6) (2022)
• Mont. Code Ann. §§ 49-4-602(2)(c) & 49-4-603(5) (2021)
• Nev. Rev. Stat. § 460.160(3) (2021)
• N.C. Gen. Stat. § 130A-414.2(2) & (6), 130A-414.3 (2021)
• Oh. Rev. Code. Ann. § 2108.36(A)(1)(c) (2018)
• Okla. Stat. tit. 63, §§ 2200.29(2) & 2200.30(F) (2021)
• R.I. Gen Laws 23-95-3(2)(iii) & 23-95-4(f) (2021)
• S.C. Code Ann. §§ 44-43-1520(2)(c) & 44-43-1530(F) (2022)
• Va. Code Ann. § 32.1-297.2(A) (2020)
• Wash. Rev. Code Ann. § 68.70.010(2) (2019)
• W. Va. Code Ann. § 16-65-2 (2022)
• Wis. Stat. Ann. § 157.06(2)(bm) (2022)
• Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 35-5-301 (a)(ii)(C) (2021)

For further information about Supported Decision-Making in your state, please visit the National Resource Center on Supported Decision-Making.