HF 3479

as introduced - 85th Legislature (2007 - 2008) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

A bill for an act
relating to courts; modifying certain district court fees; amending Minnesota
Statutes 2006, section 357.021, subdivision 1a.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 357.021, subdivision 1a, is amended to
read:

Subd. 1a.

Transmittal of fees to commissioner of finance.

(a) Every person,
including the state of Minnesota and all bodies politic and corporate, who shall transact
any business in the district court, shall pay to the court administrator of said court the
sundry fees prescribed in subdivision 2. Except as provided in paragraph (d), the court
administrator shall transmit the fees monthly to the commissioner of finance for deposit in
the state treasury and credit to the general fund. $30 of each fee collected in a dissolution
action under subdivision 2, clause (1), must be deposited by the commissioner of finance
in the special revenue fund and is appropriated to the commissioner of employment and
economic development for the displaced homemaker program under section 116L.96.

(b) In a county which has a screener-collector position, fees paid by a county
pursuant to this subdivision shall be transmitted monthly to the county treasurer, who
shall apply the fees first to reimburse the county for the amount of the salary paid for the
screener-collector position. The balance of the fees collected shall then be forwarded to
the commissioner of finance for deposit in the state treasury and credited to the general
fund. In a county in a judicial district under section 480.181, subdivision 1, paragraph
(b), which has a screener-collector position, the fees paid by a county shall be transmitted
monthly to the commissioner of finance for deposit in the state treasury and credited to the
general fund. A screener-collector position for purposes of this paragraph is an employee
whose function is to increase the collection of fines and to review the incomes of potential
clients of the public defender, in order to verify eligibility for that service.

(c) No fee is required under this section from the public authority or the party the
public authority represents in an action for:

(1) child support enforcement or modification, medical assistance enforcement, or
establishment of parentage in the district court, or in a proceeding under section 484.702;

(2) civil commitment under chapter 253B;

(3) the appointment of a public conservator or public guardian or any other action
under chapters 252A and 525;

(4) wrongfully obtaining public assistance under section 256.98 or 256D.07, or
recovery of overpayments of public assistance;

(5) court relief under chapters 260, 260A, 260B, and 260C;

(6) forfeiture of property under sections 169A.63 and 609.531 to 609.5317;

(7) recovery of amounts issued by political subdivisions or public institutions under
sections 246.52, 252.27, 256.045, 256.25, 256.87, 256B.042, 256B.14, 256B.15, 256B.37,
260B.331, and 260C.331, or other sections referring to other forms of public assistance;

(8) restitution under section 611A.04; or

(9) actions seeking monetary relief in favor of the state pursuant to section 16D.14,
subdivision 5.

(d) new text begin No fee is required under this section from any party in an action initiated under
sections 504B.381 to 504B.471 if the case is initiated during the redemption period. For
the purposes of this section, "redemption period" means the period described in sections
580.23, subdivisions 1 and 2, and 581.10.
new text end

new text begin (e) new text end $20 from each fee collected for child support modifications under subdivision 2,
clause (13), must be transmitted to the county treasurer for deposit in the county general
fund and $35 from each fee shall be credited to the state general fund. The fees must be
used by the county to pay for child support enforcement efforts by county attorneys.