# Title 59 — Trusts, Uses, and Powers

## Chapter 59-19 — Application and Electronic Records and Signatures

### § 59-19-01. (1102) Electronic records and signatures.

The provisions of chapters 59-09, 59-10, 59-11, 59-12, 59-13, 59-14, 59-15, 59-16, 59-17,
59-18, and 59-19 governing the legal effect, validity, or enforceability of electronic records or
electronic signatures, and of contracts formed or performed with the use of such records or
signatures, conform to the requirements of section 102 of the Electronic Signatures in Global
and National Commerce Act [15 U.S.C. 7002] and supersede, modify, and limit the requirements
of the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act.
### § 59-19-02. (1106) Application to existing relationships.

1. Except as otherwise provided in chapters 59-09, 59-10, 59-11, 59-12, 59-13, 59-14,
59-15, 59-16, 59-17, 59-18, and 59-19, effective August 1, 2007, these chapters:
a. Apply to all trusts created after July 31, 2007; and
b. Apply to all judicial proceedings concerning trusts which are commenced after
July 31, 2007.
2. Except as otherwise provided in chapters 59-09, 59-10, 59-11, 59-12, 59-13, 59-14,
59-15, 59-16, 59-17, 59-18, and 59-19, from August 1, 2007, through July 31, 2009:
a. A trust created before August 1, 2007, may elect to be subject to chapters 59-09,
59-10, 59-11, 59-12, 59-13, 59-14, 59-15, 59-16, 59-17, 59-18, and 59-19;
however, that trust must be in compliance with those chapters by August 1, 2009;
b. Any rule of construction or presumption provided in chapters 59-09, 59-10, 59-11,
59-12, 59-13, 59-14, 59-15, 59-16, 59-17, 59-18, and 59-19 applies to trust
instruments executed before August 1, 2009, unless there is a clear indication of
a contrary intent in the terms of the trust;
c. Chapters 59-09, 59-10, 59-11, 59-12, 59-13, 59-14, 59-15, 59-16, 59-17, 59-18,
and 59-19 do not apply to judicial proceedings concerning trusts which are
commenced before that date unless the court finds that application of a particular
provision of these chapters would not substantially interfere with the effective
conduct of the judicial proceedings or prejudice the rights of the parties, in which
case the particular provision of these chapters applies and the superseded law
does not apply; and
d. An act done before August 1, 2009, is not affected by chapters 59-09, 59-10,
59-11, 59-12, 59-13, 59-14, 59-15, 59-16, 59-17, 59-18, and 59-19.
3. If a right is acquired, extinguished, or barred upon the expiration of a prescribed period
that has commenced to run under any other statute before August 1, 2007, for those
trusts that are subject to subsection 1, or before August 1, 2009, for those trusts that
are subject to subsection 2, that statute continues to apply to the right even if it has
been repealed or superseded.
