1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to judiciary; clarifying publication process for court notices; modifying 
1.3 	provisions regarding restitution, conciliation court; clarifying certain notices to 
1.4 	public authorities in dissolution cases; modifying expiration of the Supreme Court 
1.5 	Council on Child Protection;amending Minnesota Statutes 2024, sections 331A.03, 
1.6 	subdivision 1; 491A.01, subdivision 3a; 518A.44; 611A.04, by adding a 
1.7 	subdivision; Laws 2024, chapter 115, article 12, section 30, subdivisions 6, 7; 
1.8 	article 22, section 6; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 
1.9 	484.
1.10 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.11 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 331A.03, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
1.12 		Subdivision 1.Generally. Except as provided in subdivision 2 or section 484.085, a 
1.13 	public notice shall be published in a qualified newspaper, and except as otherwise provided 
1.14 	by law, in one that is likely to give notice in the affected area or to whom it is directed. 
1.15 	When a statute or other law requires publication in a newspaper located in a designated 
1.16 	political subdivision or area and no qualified newspaper is located there, publication shall 
1.17 	be made in a qualified newspaper likely to give notice unless the particular statute or law 
1.18 	expressly provides otherwise. If no qualified newspaper exists, then publication is not 
1.19 	required.

1.20 	Sec. 2. [484.085] PUBLICATION OF NOTICE.
1.21 		Subdivision 1.Authority. Notwithstanding any statute specifically requiring publication 
1.22 	of a notice in a qualified newspaper, the district court may publish a notice, summons, order, 
1.23 	or process in judicial proceedings required by statute, rule, or court order by posting it on 
1.24 	the official website of the Minnesota judicial branch.
2.1 		Subd. 2.Effect. Publication in accordance with this section meets the definition of  
2.2 	published notice under section 645.11.
2.3 		Subd. 3.Optional use. Nothing in this section requires the district court to publish a 
2.4 	notice on its website in lieu of or in addition to publication in a qualified newspaper.
2.5 		Subd. 4.Scope. This section applies only to notices, summonses, orders, or processes 
2.6 	in judicial proceedings that are required by statute, rule, or court order to be published by 
2.7 	or through the district court. Nothing in this section authorizes any other person, entity, or 
2.8 	political subdivision to post notices, summonses, orders, or processes in judicial proceedings 
2.9 	on the website of the Minnesota judicial branch.
2.10 		Subd. 5.Form and duration. A notice, summons, order, or process in judicial 
2.11 	proceedings published under this section must be posted in substantially the same form and 
2.12 	for the same period of time as required for publication in a qualified newspaper for that 
2.13 	particular notice, summons, order, or process in judicial proceedings.

2.14 	Sec. 3. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 491A.01, subdivision 3a, is amended to read:
2.15 		Subd. 3a.Jurisdiction; general. (a) Except as provided in subdivisions 4 and 5, the 
2.16 	conciliation court has jurisdiction to hear, conciliate, try, and determine civil claims if the 
2.17 	amount of money or property that is the subject matter of the claim does not exceed: (1) 
2.18 	$20,000; or (2) $4,000, if the claim involves a consumer credit transaction.
2.19 	(b) "Consumer credit transaction" means a sale of personal property, or a loan arranged 
2.20 	to facilitate the purchase of personal property, in which:
2.21 	(1) credit is granted by a seller or a lender who regularly engages as a seller or lender 
2.22 	in credit transactions of the same kind;
2.23 	(2) the buyer is a natural person;
2.24 	(3) the claimant is the seller or lender in the transaction; and
2.25 	(4) the personal property is purchased primarily for a personal, family, or household 
2.26 	purpose and not for a commercial, agricultural, or business purpose.
2.27 	(c) Except as otherwise provided in this subdivision and subdivisions 5 to 11, the 
2.28 	territorial jurisdiction of conciliation court is coextensive with the county in which the court 
2.29 	is established. The summons in a conciliation court action under subdivisions 6 to 10 may 
2.30 	be served anywhere in the state, and the summons in a conciliation court action under 
2.31 	subdivision 7, paragraph (b), may be served outside the state in the manner provided by 
2.32 	law. The court administrator plaintiff shall serve the summons in a conciliation court action 
3.1 	by first class mail, except that if the amount of money or property that is the subject of the 
3.2 	claim exceeds $2,500, the summons must be served by the plaintiff by certified mail, and 
3.3 	service on nonresident defendants must be made in accordance with applicable law or rule. 
3.4 	Subpoenas to secure the attendance of nonparty witnesses and the production of documents 
3.5 	at trial may be served anywhere within the state in the manner provided by law.
3.6 	When a court administrator is required to summon the defendant by certified mail under 
3.7 	this paragraph, the summons may be made by personal service in the manner provided in 
3.8 	the Rules of Civil Procedure for personal service of a summons of the district court as an 
3.9 	alternative to service by certified mail.

3.10 	Sec. 4. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 518A.44, is amended to read:
3.11 	518A.44 NOTICE TO PUBLIC AUTHORITY.
3.12 	The petitioner shall notify the public authority of all proceedings for dissolution with 
3.13 	children, legal separation with children, determination of parentage, or for the custody of 
3.14 	a child, if either party is receiving public assistance or applies for it subsequent to the 
3.15 	commencement of the proceeding. The notice must contain the full names of the parties to 
3.16 	the proceeding, their Social Security account numbers, and their birth dates. After receipt 
3.17 	of the notice, the court shall set child support as provided in section 518A.35. The court 
3.18 	may order either or both parents owing a duty of support to a child of the marriage to pay 
3.19 	an amount reasonable or necessary for the child's support, without regard to marital 
3.20 	misconduct. The court shall approve a child support stipulation of the parties if each party 
3.21 	is represented by independent counsel, unless the stipulation does not meet the conditions 
3.22 	of section 518A.35. In other cases the court shall determine and order child support in a 
3.23 	specific dollar amount in accordance with the guidelines and the other factors set forth in 
3.24 	section 518A.43 and any departure therefrom. The court may also order the obligor to pay 
3.25 	child support in the form of a percentage share of the obligor's net bonuses, commissions, 
3.26 	or other forms of compensation, in addition to, or if the obligor receives no base pay, in lieu 
3.27 	of, an order for a specific dollar amount.

3.28 	Sec. 5. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 611A.04, is amended by adding a subdivision to 
3.29 	read:
3.30 		Subd. 7.Administrative renewals. Any person named in the order to receive the 
3.31 	restitution may renew the restitution judgment by service of notice upon the offender. Service 
3.32 	must be by first class mail at the last known address of the offender, with service deemed 
3.33 	complete upon mailing in the manner designated, or in the manner provided for the service 
4.1 	of civil process. Upon filing of the notice and proof of service, the court administrator must 
4.2 	administratively renew the restitution judgment without any additional filing fee in the same 
4.3 	civil court file as the original restitution judgment. The judgment must be renewed in an 
4.4 	amount equal to the unpaid principal plus the accrued unpaid interest. Restitution judgments 
4.5 	may be renewed multiple times until satisfied.

4.6 	Sec. 6. Laws 2024, chapter 115, article 12, section 30, subdivision 6, is amended to read:
4.7 		Subd. 6.Reports. By July 15, 2025, the Supreme Court Council on Child Protection 
4.8 	must submit a progress report on the council's duties under subdivision 5 to the governor, 
4.9 	the chief justice of the supreme court, and the chairs and ranking minority members of the 
4.10 	legislative committees with jurisdiction over child protection. By January December 15, 
4.11 	2026, the council must submit its final report to the governor, the chief justice of the supreme 
4.12 	court, and the chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative committees with 
4.13 	jurisdiction over child protection, detailing the comprehensive blueprint developed under 
4.14 	subdivision 5.

4.15 	Sec. 7. Laws 2024, chapter 115, article 12, section 30, subdivision 7, is amended to read:
4.16 		Subd. 7.Expiration. The Supreme Court Council on Child Protection expires upon the 
4.17 	submission of its final report under subdivision 6 on June 30, 2027.

4.18 	Sec. 8. Laws 2024, chapter 115, article 22, section 6, is amended to read:

4.19	Sec. 6. SUPREME COURT
 	$
	-0-
	$
	1,000,000
	
4.20 	Supreme Court Council on Child 
4.21 	Protection. $1,000,000 in fiscal year 2025 is 
4.22 	for the establishment and administration of 
4.23 	the Supreme Court Council on Child 
4.24 	Protection. This is a onetime appropriation 
4.25 	and is available until June 30, 2026 2027.