1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to judiciary; amending the residential eligibility requirements for judges 
1.3 	of the Court of Appeals; directing the chief judge of the Court of Appeals to 
1.4 	redesignate judges consistent with new eligibility requirements;amending 
1.5 	Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 480A.02, subdivisions 3, 5, 6.
1.6 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.7 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 480A.02, subdivision 3, is amended to 
1.8 	read:
1.9 		Subd. 3.Eligibility. (a) Beginning July 1, 2012, vacancies occurring on the court 
1.10 	shall be filled by persons meeting the eligibility requirements under paragraph (b). This 
1.11 	act does not affect the ability of an incumbent judge serving on July 1, 2012, to complete a 
1.12 	term of office or to be reelected to the court, regardless of residence.
1.13 	~~By January 1, 1984, one seat~~ (b) On July 1, 2012, two seats on the court shall be 
1.14 	designated for each congressional district. The congressional districts to be used must 
1.15 	be those enacted or ordered for use at the 2012 state general election and following each 
1.16 	subsequent redistricting. Only persons who have resided in that congressional district 
1.17 	for at least one year shall be eligible for election or appointment to that seat. A judge 
1.18 	who is elected or appointed to a congressional district seat shall continue to be eligible 
1.19 	for that seat without regard to any subsequent change of residence, unless redistricting 
1.20 	or reapportionment allows the judge to be designated as serving in the district of the 
1.21 	judge's new residence, as provided in subdivision 5. All other seats shall be without 
1.22 	restriction as to residence.

1.23 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective July 1, 2012.

2.1 	Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 480A.02, subdivision 5, is amended to read:
2.2 		Subd. 5.Designation of judges. ~~After each reapportionment~~ By the first Monday in 
2.3 	January of 2013 and every ten years thereafter, the chief judge shall designate ~~a judge~~ two 
2.4 	judges for each of the new congressional districts. The chief judge shall first redesignate 
2.5 	the incumbent judges serving for the old congressional districts. If ~~only one~~ fewer than 
2.6 	three of them ~~was~~ were, at the time of original election or appointment, resident at a place 
2.7 	within a new congressional district, ~~that judge~~ those judges shall be designated as serving 
2.8 	for that district. If ~~two~~ three or more of them were residents at the time of initial election 
2.9 	or appointment in places which are within the same new congressional district, the ~~judge~~
2.10 	judges whose district ~~was~~ were in the opinion of the chief judge most substantially related 
2.11 	to the new district shall be designated as serving for the new district and ~~the other~~ any 
2.12 	others shall be designated as serving in the new congressional district of their current 
2.13 	residence or at large. If there is then any new congressional district for which there ~~is no~~
2.14 	are fewer than two designated ~~judge~~ judges, but there ~~is an~~ are incumbent ~~at-large judge~~
2.15 	judges who ~~was resident~~ resided within that territory at the time of initial election or 
2.16 	appointment or who currently reside in that territory, ~~that judge~~ those judges, or the two 
2.17 	most senior of them, if there ~~is~~ are more than ~~one~~ two, shall be assigned to the district 
2.18 	seat to provide two judges for the district. If there then remains any new congressional 
2.19 	district for which there ~~is no~~ are fewer than two designated ~~judge~~ judges, there shall be 
2.20 	no ~~judge~~ additional judges designated to serve from that district until the next at-large 
2.21 	vacancy arising by death, retirement, resignation, or removal, which shall be filled by 
2.22 	appointment of a person from that congressional district.

2.23 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective July 1, 2012.

2.24 	Sec. 3. Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 480A.02, subdivision 6, is amended to read:
2.25 		Subd. 6.Effect of redesignation. The redesignation of judges by reason of 
2.26 	reapportionment or redistricting shall not affect the term of office of any individual judge.

2.27 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective July 1, 2012.