U.S. Supported Decision-Making Laws

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

• 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 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)
• In. Code § 20-35-6-4 (2023)
• N.H. Rev. Stat. § 186-C:3-c (2022)
• Or. Rev. Stat. § 343.181(2) (2022)
• 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)
• Ga. Code Ann. § 31-1-24(a)(2)(C) & (b)(6) (2021)
• Kan. Stat. Ann. § 65-3276 (h)(2) (2022)
• 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.