Many Texas guardians are family: a daughter, a son, or a spouse who went to court to look after someone they love. If that is you, a law passed in 2025 may have added something to your to-do list, and the deadline for guardians already serving came and went on September 1, 2026.

What Changed

House Bill 3376 took effect on September 1, 2025. In December 2025, the Supreme Court of Texas adopted Rule 10.35 to carry it out. Together, they require many guardians to complete a one-hour course on Alzheimer's disease, dementia, and related disorders.

The state offers the course online at no charge. It covers:

• Common aspects of aging
• Warning signs of dementia and Alzheimer's disease
• Ways to communicate with a person who has dementia
• Strategies and resources for helping that person exercise his or her rights

This is in addition to the general training a person must complete before being appointed guardian. It also repeats. Once you take it, you must take it again at least once a year until the guardianship ends.

Who Has to Take It

The rule applies to a guardian of the person or of the estate when the ward is either 60 or older, or younger than 60 and diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, dementia, or a related disorder.

The first deadline depends on your situation:

• Appointed before July 1, 2026: The deadline was September 1, 2026.
• Newly appointed: Within six months after your appointment.
• Temporary guardianship extended: Within six months after the extension.
• Ward turns 60 during the guardianship: Within six months after the ward's 60th birthday.

Who Does Not

You do not need the training if you are a guardian certified by the Judicial Branch Certification Commission, an attorney, or a corporate fiduciary. Temporary guardians appointed under Chapter 1251 of the Estates Code are also excepted, unless the temporary guardianship is extended. A court may also waive the requirement in some cases. If you think a waiver fits your situation, ask before you assume it does.

How to Complete It

The Commission's guardianship training page at txcourts.gov links to the course in English and Spanish. The steps are simple:

• Log in or create an account.
• Select the Alzheimer's training video and watch it.
• Confirm that you finished it.
• Save or print your certificate.
• Give a copy of the certificate to the court overseeing the guardianship.

That last step matters. The law makes the probate court responsible for seeing that guardians finish on time, and the certificate is how the court knows you did.

What This Means for You

If you are serving as a guardian and your ward is 60 or older, check today whether you have taken this course. If you were appointed before July 1, 2026, and you have not, take it now. The hour is free, and you can do it from your kitchen table.

Neither the statute nor the state's handout lists a specific penalty for missing the deadline. My advice is simple: finish the course, get your certificate to the court, and put a reminder on your calendar for next year. Guardians already have plenty to carry. A missed filing should not be one more thing.

If you are thinking about asking a court to appoint you as guardian, build this into your plans from the start.

Have questions about a guardianship, or need help getting back on track with the court? Contact the Law Offices of M. Cody Moore at (281) 241-7161.

This post provides general information and is not legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship.