1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to civil law; providing education requirements for marriage dissolution 
1.3 	and legal separation proceeding;proposing coding for new law in Minnesota 
1.4 	Statutes, chapter 518; repealing Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 518.157.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. [518.159] MARRIAGE DISSOLUTION AND LEGAL SEPARATION 
1.7 	EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS.
1.8 		Subdivision 1.Application. This section applies to marriage dissolution and legal 
1.9 	separation proceedings involving minor children.
1.10 		Subd. 2.Participation requirements. (a) Parents shall attend a four-hour marriage 
1.11 	dissolution education program. Unless otherwise ordered by the court, participation in the 
1.12 	program must be completed prior to the first court appearance or hearing, or within 60 
1.13 	days of the first filing with the court, whichever is sooner. At the first court appearance 
1.14 	or hearing, the court must verify course completion. If a party has not yet completed the 
1.15 	course, the court must order a timetable for completion, or may exempt a party from 
1.16 	completing the course requirement upon a showing of good cause. Good cause shall 
1.17 	include an inability to speak the language used in the program, a judgment that taking 
1.18 	the course is not in a child's best interests or would compromise the safety of one of 
1.19 	the parties, or that the party cannot afford the course fee. If a case is settled without a 
1.20 	court hearing, each party must submit a certificate of completion along with the marital 
1.21 	termination agreement or stipulated judgment and decree, unless the court has exempted 
1.22 	a party from completing the course for good cause. Judges and referees may also order 
1.23 	parent education in postdecree cases and cases involving unmarried parents.
2.1 	(b) The court administrator must not accept for filing a marital termination 
2.2 	agreement or a stipulated judgment and decree unless it is accompanied by a certificate of 
2.3 	course completion or a waiver signed by a judicial officer.
2.4 	(c) The party must submit a certificate provided by the marriage dissolution 
2.5 	education program verifying completion of the program. The certificate must be titled 
2.6 	"Certificate of Completion of Education Requirement" and contain the following language:   
2.7 	"This certifies that (party's name) has successfully completed the course (course name), 
2.8 	sponsored by (name of organization providing the course), which qualifies as a marriage 
2.9 	dissolution education program in accordance with Minnesota Statutes, section 518.159."
2.10 		Subd. 3.Program requirements. (a) An education program under this section may 
2.11 	be conducted in person or online if the program meets the criteria in this subdivision.
2.12 	(b) A program must meet acceptable standards of scientific evidence for 
2.13 	effectiveness in reducing parental conflict and improving children's adjustment in marriage 
2.14 	dissolution situations. These standards may be met either by a listing on the National 
2.15 	Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices or approval by the Minnesota couples 
2.16 	on the brink project created under section 137.32. The Minnesota couples on the brink 
2.17 	project shall convene and consult with a panel of University of Minnesota experts on 
2.18 	the evaluation of parent education programs. Approved programs must submit a new 
2.19 	or past empirical study, using an experimental or quasi-experimental research design, 
2.20 	demonstrating reduced parental conflict and improved adjustment of children. In using 
2.21 	a quasi-experimental research design, a program may submit a study demonstrating 
2.22 	outcomes that surpass those of control groups in published experimental studies. A parent 
2.23 	education program already implemented by the district courts in Minnesota as of January 
2.24 	1, 2014, is an eligible program under this subdivision until September 1, 2017, if the 
2.25 	program includes the information required under paragraph (c). On or after September 1, 
2.26 	2017, those programs must also meet the scientific criteria specified in this paragraph.
2.27 	(c) The program must provide information on:
2.28 	(1) assessing if a party to the proceedings is perpetrating domestic violence against 
2.29 	a victim who is a party to the proceedings and when cooperation in co-parenting may 
2.30 	not be desirable because of safety risks, and providing information on local domestic 
2.31 	violence resources;
2.32 	(2) constructive parenting in the dissolution process, including risk factors for 
2.33 	families, how marriage dissolution affects children of different ages, and skills parents 
2.34 	can learn to increase cooperation and minimize conflict, particularly conflict arising when 
2.35 	parents place children in the middle, creating conflicting loyalty. This component of the 
2.36 	program must be aimed at increasing the parents' sensitivity to children's needs and at 
3.1 	giving them skills to improve the parents' and the children's adjustment to the dissolution 
3.2 	of the marriage. The primary emphasis of the program must be on constructive parenting 
3.3 	information; and
3.4 	(3) an overview of the legal process of marital dissolution and the advantages 
3.5 	and disadvantages of litigation and alternative processes, including but not limited to 
3.6 	mediation, collaborative and cooperative law, and restorative circles.
3.7 	(d) A program that is conducted in person must not require the parties to attend the 
3.8 	same parent education sessions.
3.9 	(e) The Minnesota couples on the brink project must disseminate to court 
3.10 	administrators a list of programs that meet the requirements of this subdivision.
3.11 	(f) By January 31 of each year, the Minnesota Supreme Court administrator shall 
3.12 	submit to the chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative committees with 
3.13 	jurisdiction over civil law a public report containing the following information for 
3.14 	each judicial district of the state: the number of marriage dissolutions, the number of 
3.15 	dissolutions involving minor children, the number of parties who filed certificates of 
3.16 	completion, and the number of parties who received waivers in the preceding calendar year.
3.17 		Subd. 4.Confidentiality. Unless all parties agree in writing, statements made by 
3.18 	a party during participation in a parent education program are inadmissible as evidence 
3.19 	for any purpose, including impeachment. No record may be made regarding a party's 
3.20 	participation in a parent education program, except a record of completion of the program 
3.21 	as required under this section. Instructors shall not disclose information regarding 
3.22 	an individual participant obtained as a result of participation in a parent education 
3.23 	program. Parent education instructors may not be subpoenaed or called as witnesses in 
3.24 	court proceedings.
3.25 		Subd. 5.Costs and program providers. (a) Each education program must enable 
3.26 	persons to have timely and reasonable access to education sessions. A party who qualifies 
3.27 	for a waiver of filing fees under section 563.01 is exempt from paying the parent education 
3.28 	program fee. Program providers shall implement a sliding fee scale.
3.29 	(b) An education program not listed on the National Registry of Evidence-Based 
3.30 	Programs and Practices and which was denied approval by the Minnesota couples on the 
3.31 	brink project may seek judicial review from the Court of Appeals pursuant to Minnesota 
3.32 	Statutes, sections 14.63 to 14.68.

3.33 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective January 1, 2016, and applies to 
3.34 	proceedings in which the initial pleading is served or, in the case of a joint petition, signed 
3.35 	by both parties on or after that date.

4.1 	Sec. 2.  REPEALER.
 4.2 	Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 518.157, is repealed.