Minnesota Session Laws - 1989, Regular Session

  

                         Laws of Minnesota 1989 

                        CHAPTER 308-H.F.No. 354 
           An act relating to elections; providing for handicap 
          access to precinct caucuses and party conventions; 
          providing for interpreters at precinct caucuses and 
          party conventions; making convention and caucus 
          materials available to the visually impaired; 
          appropriating money; amending Minnesota Statutes 1988, 
          sections 202A.13; and 202A.15, subdivision 2; 
          proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, 
          chapter 202A.  
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
    Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1988, section 202A.13, is 
amended to read: 
    202A.13 [COMMITTEES, CONVENTIONS.] 
    The rules of each major political party shall provide that 
for each congressional district and each county or legislative 
district a convention shall be held at least once every state 
general election year.  Each major political party shall also 
provide for each congressional district and each county or 
legislative district an executive committee consisting of a 
chair and such other officers as may be necessary.  The party 
rules may provide for only one executive committee and one 
convention where any county and congressional district have the 
same territorial limits.  
    A communicatively impaired delegate or alternate who needs 
interpreter services at a county, legislative district, or 
congressional district convention shall so notify the executive 
committee of the major political party unit whose convention the 
delegate or alternate plans to attend.  Written notice must be 
given by certified mail to the executive committee at least 30 
days before the convention date.  The major political party, not 
later than 14 days before the convention date, shall secure the 
services of one or more interpreters if available and shall 
assume responsibility for the cost of the services.  The state 
central committee of the major political party shall determine 
the process for reimbursing interpreters.  
     A visually impaired delegate or alternate to a county, 
legislative district, or congressional district convention may 
notify the executive committee of the major political party unit 
that the delegate or alternate requires convention materials in 
audio tape, Braille, or large print format.  Upon receiving the 
request, the executive committee shall provide all official 
written convention materials as soon as they are available, so 
that the visually impaired individual may have them converted to 
audio tape, Braille, or large print format, prior to the 
convention. 
    Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1988, section 202A.15, 
subdivision 2, is amended to read: 
    Subd. 2.  The precinct caucuses shall be held at the 
regular polling places for each precinct or other suitable 
places designated in the call, and no caucus may be adjourned to 
any other place or time.  
    In the event that there is only one suitable meeting place 
in the precinct polling place and the major political parties 
cannot agree as to its use, the county auditor shall decide by 
lot prior to January 15, 1970, the party which is to receive the 
use of the meeting place in years evenly divisible by four and 
which party shall receive the use of the meeting place in other 
years in which a state general election is held.  The report of 
such selections by lot in the county shall be filed by the 
auditor with the county board which shall publish the same as a 
part of the minutes of the board meeting at which the report is 
filed.  
    A precinct caucus must be held at a place that meets the 
accessibility standards for precinct polling places specified in 
section 204B.16, subdivision 5.  In addition, the place where a 
precinct caucus is held must contain restrooms that conform to 
the standards in the state building code for accessibility by 
handicapped persons.  If a precinct caucus is held on a floor of 
a building that is either above or below the entrance level for 
the building, an elevator must be available.  Any elevators used 
for access to the room where the precinct caucus is held must 
conform to the standards in the state building code for 
accessibility by handicapped persons.  
    If there are not enough places within a precinct that are 
or can be made accessible as provided by this subdivision and 
section 204B.16, subdivision 5, for each major party to hold its 
precinct caucus, a major party may hold its caucus at a place 
outside one of the boundaries of the precinct in order to comply 
with accessibility requirements.  
    If only one place satisfies the accessibility and location 
requirements of this subdivision, the major parties shall 
alternate use of the place.  Prior to January 1, 1990, the 
county auditor shall decide by lot which party is to use the 
accessible place in years evenly divisible by four and which 
party is to use the place in other years when a state general 
election is held. 
    Sec. 3.  [202A.155] [INTERPRETER SERVICES; CAUCUS 
MATERIALS.] 
    A communicatively impaired individual who needs interpreter 
services at a precinct caucus shall so notify the major 
political party whose caucus the individual plans to attend.  
Written notice must be given by certified mail to the county or 
legislative district committee of the political party at least 
30 days before the precinct caucus date.  The major political 
party, not later than 14 days before the precinct caucus date, 
shall secure the services of one or more interpreters if 
available and shall assume responsibility for the cost of the 
services.  The state central committee of the major political 
party shall determine the process for reimbursing interpreters. 
     A visually impaired individual may notify the county or 
legislative district committee of the major political party 
whose precinct caucus the individual plans to attend, that the 
individual requires caucus materials in audio tape, Braille, or 
large type format.  Upon receiving the request, the county or 
legislative district committee shall provide all official 
written caucus materials as soon as they are available, so that 
the visually impaired individual may have them converted to 
audio tape, Braille, or large print format prior to the precinct 
caucus. 
    Sec. 4.  [202A.156] [INTERPRETER SERVICES AND ACCESSIBLE 
PRECINCT CAUCUS EXEMPTIONS.] 
    A major political party is not required to: 
    (1) provide an interpreter for a convention or precinct 
caucus if it has made documented good faith efforts to locate 
and assign an interpreter, including contacting an interpreter 
referral center or regional service center for the hearing 
impaired, and no interpreters are available; or 
    (2) hold a precinct caucus at a place that meets the 
accessibility standards for precinct polling places specified in 
section 204B.16, subdivision 5, if it has made documented good 
faith efforts to locate and secure an available accessible site 
within a reasonable distance of the precinct, and no accessible 
site is available. 
    Sec. 5.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
    $39,000 is appropriated from the general fund to the 
secretary of state, who must reimburse major political parties 
for the costs of providing interpreter services to 
communicatively impaired persons. 
    Presented to the governor May 30, 1989 
    Signed by the governor June 1, 1989, 10:44 p.m.