2007 Minnesota Statutes

CHAPTER 3C. REVISOR OF STATUTES

3C.01 APPOINTMENT OF REVISOR.
The Legislative Coordinating Commission shall appoint a qualified person to the position of
revisor of statutes. The revisor shall serve at the pleasure of the commission. The commission
shall fix the revisor's salary.
History: 1984 c 480 s 1

3C.02 REVISOR'S POWERS.
    Subdivision 1. Regular staff; hiring and salaries. The revisor shall employ and may fix
the salaries of drafters and technical, research, and clerical assistants necessary to do the work
of the revisor's office.
    Subd. 2. Additional staff; contractors. When full-time employees are not available to do the
work of the office, the revisor may contract for drafting, technical, research, or clerical services.
    Subd. 3. Purchasing. The revisor may purchase necessary office furniture and supplies.
    Subd. 4. Contracting. The revisor may enter into contracts to provide necessary services
and supplies to the office.
    Subd. 5. Limitation of powers. The exercise of the powers set forth in subdivisions 1 to 4 is
subject to the control of the Legislative Coordinating Commission.
    Subd. 6. Contracts over $50,000. A contract for professional or technical services that is
valued at more than $50,000 may be made only after the revisor has consulted with the Legislative
Coordinating Commission. The contract is subject to its recommendation as provided by section
3C.10, subdivision 3, for a printing contract.
History: 1984 c 480 s 2; 1995 c 254 art 1 s 38

3C.03 DRAFTING DUTIES OF REVISOR'S OFFICE.
    Subdivision 1. Limitation. As far as personnel and available appropriations permit, the
Revisor's Office shall perform the drafting duties described in subdivisions 2 to 4.
    Subd. 2. Drafting department. The Revisor's Office shall maintain a drafting department.
On request, the office shall draft or help to draft bills, resolutions, and amendments for the
governor, members of the legislature, departments or agencies of the state, or special committees
or commissions created by the legislature or appointed by the governor to study or revise the laws.
The Revisor's Office also has the rule drafting duties described in chapter 14.
    Subd. 3. Requests for drafting services. The persons or bodies listed in subdivision 2
may submit to the Revisor's Office requests for drafting services. A request must state briefly
the policy and purpose of the document to be drafted. Documents must be drafted to conform to
the instructions given in the request.
    Subd. 4. Drafting manual. The Revisor's Office shall prepare and issue a bill drafting
manual containing styles and forms for drafting bills, resolutions, and amendments.
History: 1984 c 480 s 3

3C.035 BILL DRAFTING FOR DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES.
    Subdivision 1. Deadlines. A department or agency intending to urge the legislature to adopt
a bill shall deliver the drafting request for the bill to the revisor of statutes by November 1 before
the regular session of the legislature at which adoption will be urged. A commissioner or agency
head, however, may deliver a drafting request later by certifying to the revisor, with supporting
facts, that the request is an emergency, relates to a matter that could not reasonably have been
foreseen before November 1, or for which there is other reasonable justification for delay. The
completed bill draft, in a form ready for introduction, must be delivered by the revisor to a
senator or representative as directed by the department or agency. If the draft was requested after
November 1, it must be accompanied by a copy of the commissioner's certification to the revisor.
    Subd. 2.[Repealed, 1991 c 345 art 1 s 117]
    Subd. 3. Restrictions on outside drafting. A department or agency may not contract with
an attorney, consultant, or other person either to provide drafting services to the department or
agency or to advise on drafting unless the revisor determines that special expertise is required for
the drafting and the expertise is not available from the revisor or the revisor's staff. A department
or agency may not request legislative staff, other than the revisor of statutes, to provide drafting
services to the department or agency.
History: 1Sp1985 c 13 s 69; 1987 c 404 s 64,65; 1988 c 686 art 5 s 1; 1989 c 335 art 1 s 55

3C.04 OTHER OFFICE DUTIES DURING LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
    Subdivision 1. Advice concerning effect of bills. The Revisor's Office shall give members
of the legislature advice concerning the legal effect of bills or proposed bills, but only at the
request of the members.
    Subd. 2. Information gathering. The Revisor's Office shall gather information about the
practical operation and effect of statutes of this and other states.
    Subd. 3. Report to legislature. The Revisor's Office shall report to the legislature any
statutory changes recommended or discussed or statutory deficiencies noted in any opinion of the
Supreme Court or the Court of Appeals of Minnesota. The report must be made by November 15
of each even-numbered year. It must treat opinions filed during the two-year period immediately
preceding September 30 of the year before the year in which the session is held. It must include
any comment necessary to outline clearly the legislative problem reported.
    Subd. 4. Technical bills. The Revisor's Office shall prepare and submit to the legislature bills
clarifying and correcting the statutes and administrative rules.
    Subd. 5. Engrossment and enrollment. The Revisor's Office shall assist in the enrollment
and engrossment of bills. Senate bills are to be under the supervision of the secretary of the senate.
House bills are to be under the supervision of the chief clerk of the house of representatives.
In preparing an engrossment or enrollment, the revisor may correct misspelled words and
other minor clerical errors. No correction of this kind constitutes an alteration or departure from
the text as shown in the journals of the senate and house of representatives.
In preparing an enrollment of a bill passed at a legislative session, the revisor shall assign the
bill a chapter number. As far as practical, the numbers shall be assigned in the order of the date
of the legislature's last vote on the bills before presentment to the governor. The revisor, as the
agent of the legislature, shall present the enrolled bills to the governor and report to the house of
origin the date of presentment of the enrollment. The revisor shall show on the enrollment the
date the enrollment was presented to the governor.
    Subd. 6. Other services. The Revisor's Office shall perform other services requested by the
legislature or either of its branches.
History: 1984 c 480 s 4; 1988 c 479 s 2; 1991 c 199 art 1 s 1; 1992 c 416 s 1; 1992 c 494 s 1

3C.05 PROHIBITIONS AND LIMITATIONS.
    Subdivision 1. General. The revisor, employees of the revisor's office, and persons assisting
the office as part-time employees or independent contractors are subject to the following
prohibitions and limitations:
(a) They may not reveal to any person not employed by the revisor's office the content
or nature of a request for drafting services. The content of the request and documents and
communications relating to the drafting service supplied is not public and is not subject to
subpoena, search warrant, deposition, writ of mandamus, interrogatory, or other disclosure.
(b) They may not urge or oppose legislation on issues susceptible to action in the Minnesota
legislature.
(c) They may not use office time to conduct legal business other than the business of the
revisor's office.
(d) They may not engage in outside activities that violate the ethical considerations
concerning independent professional judgment and interests of multiple clients contained in the
Code of Professional Responsibility for Lawyers.
(e) They may not engage in activities of a partisan nature.
    Subd. 2. Office hours. The revisor's office must be kept open during the time provided by
law for other state offices. When the legislature is in session the office must be kept open at the
hours most convenient to the members of the legislature.
History: 1984 c 480 s 5

3C.055 [Repealed, 1988 c 686 art 5 s 10]

3C.056 [Repealed, 1991 c 345 art 1 s 117]

3C.057 [Repealed, 1988 c 686 art 5 s 10]

3C.06 LAWS OF MINNESOTA.
    Subdivision 1. General requirements. As soon as possible after a session of the legislature
has adjourned each year, the revisor shall publish the laws of the session in a publication called
"Laws of Minnesota." It must be identified by the year of the session and have suitable headnotes
and indexes as required by subdivision 4. Each law must be shown with the chapter number
assigned to its enrollment under section 3C.04, subdivision 5. For each law, the revisor shall
show the date when it was presented to the governor as shown on the enrolled bill and the date
and time of day it was:
(1) signed by the governor;
(2) enacted finally without the governor's signature; or
(3) approved by the legislature after the governor's veto.
For any bill that was vetoed, the revisor shall show that it was vetoed. If appropriate, the
revisor shall show that the bill was reconsidered and not approved by the legislature. If not
reconsidered, the revisor shall show whether or not the legislature has subsequently adjourned
sine die.
    Subd. 2. Approval dates of local laws. For each special law for which the certificate of local
approval required by section 645.021 has been filed with the secretary of state before the printer's
copy for Laws of Minnesota is prepared, the published volume must give the date of filing. The
published volume containing the special laws must include a table giving the approval date for all
special laws adopted during the biennium ending on the previous December 31.
    Subd. 3. Table of sections affected. Each edition of Laws of Minnesota must contain a
table showing the sections of the Minnesota Statutes and the session laws affected by the acts
passed at that session of the legislature.
    Subd. 4. Index. Each edition of Laws of Minnesota must contain an alphabetical index of
the laws contained in the edition.
History: 1984 c 480 s 6; 1988 c 479 s 3

3C.07 MINNESOTA STATUTES, HISTORICAL STATUS.
    Subdivision 1. Minnesota Revised Statutes. The compilation and revision of the general
and permanent statutes of Minnesota, prepared by the revisor under the provisions of Laws of
Minnesota 1943, chapter 545, and filed with the secretary of state on December 28, 1944, is
adopted and enacted as Minnesota Revised Statutes. Minnesota Revised Statutes must not be
cited, enumerated, or otherwise treated as a session law. Acts passed at the 1945 biennial session
of the legislature are not repealed or modified by the adoption of Minnesota Revised Statutes.
The laws contained in Minnesota Revised Statutes are continuations of the acts from which
compiled and are not new enactments.
    Subd. 2. Minnesota Statutes 1945; text, coding, histories. Immediately after the end of
the biennial session of the legislature in 1945, the revisor of statutes shall prepare and deliver
to the commissioner of administration printer's copy for Minnesota Statutes 1945. This copy
must contain all the text embodied in the "Minnesota Revised Statutes" except as provided in
this chapter. The revisor shall incorporate with the body of the text of the "Minnesota Revised
Statutes" the amendments made to any of its sections at the 1945 biennial session of the legislature
and omit any statutes expressly repealed at that session. The laws contained in Minnesota Statutes
1945 are continuations of the acts from which compiled and are not new enactments.
The revisor shall compile and include in Minnesota Statutes 1945, in an appropriate place
and classification, all general and permanent laws enacted at the 1945 biennial session. The
revisor shall assign these laws appropriate chapter and section identification by the decimal
system of numbering.
After each section the revisor shall place a source note indicating the chapter and section of
the session law from which the section was derived.
History: 1984 c 480 s 7

3C.08 MINNESOTA STATUTES; CONTENTS.
    Subdivision 1. Permanent required contents. The Revisor's Office shall publish editions of
Minnesota Statutes. Minnesota Statutes must contain the Constitution of the United States, the
Constitution of Minnesota, all general and permanent statutes in force, an alphabetical index, a
table of permanent local laws, rules of the Supreme Court, rules of the district court, rules of other
courts, rules applicable to the courts generally, and any other information the revisor considers
desirable and practicable.
    Subd. 2. Decimal coding system. The decimal system of numbering of sections contained in
Minnesota Statutes 1945 must be continued in all future editions of Minnesota Statutes, except
that alphabetical letters may be used in addition to the decimal numbers. Chapters and sections of
Minnesota Statutes retain the numbers and titles given them in Minnesota Revised Statutes until
changed by the revisor or by statute.
    Subd. 3. Headnotes. The headnotes of the sections of any edition of the Minnesota Statutes
printed in boldface type are mere catchwords to indicate the contents of the section and are
not any part of the statute.
    Subd. 4. New laws incorporated. As soon as possible after a session of the legislature has
adjourned, the Revisor's Office shall incorporate into the text of Minnesota Statutes the permanent
general laws enacted and the amendments made to the statutes at that session and at any extra
session of the legislature. The office shall also omit any sections expressly repealed. The office
shall assign appropriate chapter and section numbers to these laws and shall arrange them in
proper order. After each section the office shall place a source note indicating the chapter and
section of the session law from which the section was derived.
    Subd. 5. Form and style changes. The form and style of Minnesota Statutes may be changed
as necessary to improve its quality and to permit the use of electronic data processing equipment,
computer compatible media, and other related equipment in connection with its publication.
History: 1984 c 480 s 8; 1998 c 254 art 2 s 1

3C.09 MINNESOTA STATUTES; SUPPLEMENTATION.
If the Revisor's Office does not publish an edition of Minnesota Statutes in a given year, it
may publish a supplement to Minnesota Statutes. The supplement must be identified by the year
of publication and to the extent possible must otherwise comply with section 3C.08.
History: 1984 c 480 s 9; 1984 c 655 art 2 s 19 subd 1

3C.10 PUBLICATION POWERS.
    Subdivision 1. Editorial powers for statutes. The Revisor's Office, in preparing printer's
copy for editions of statutes, may not alter the sense, meaning, or effect of any legislative act,
but may:
(a) renumber sections or subdivisions and parts of sections or subdivisions;
(b) change the wording of headnotes;
(c) rearrange sections or subdivisions;
(d) combine sections or subdivisions into other sections or other subdivisions, or both;
(e) divide sections or subdivisions into other sections or subdivisions so as to give to distinct
subject matters a section or subdivision number;
(f) substitute the proper section, chapter, or subdivision numbers for the terms "this act,"
"the preceding section," and the like;
(g) substitute figures for written words and vice versa;
(h) substitute the date on which the law becomes effective for the words "the effective
date of this act," and the like;
(i) change capitalization for the purpose of uniformity;
(j) correct manifest clerical, typographical, grammatical, or punctuation errors;
(k) correct words misspelled in enrollments;
(l) change reference numbers to agree with renumbered chapters, sections, or subdivisions;
(m) delete the phrases "Minnesota Statutes," "Minnesota Statutes 1980," and phrases
identifying other editions of and supplements to Minnesota Statutes if the phrases are used in
a reference to a statutory section;
(n) replace gender specific words with gender neutral words and, if necessary, recast the
sentences containing gender specific words; and
(o) make similar editorial changes to ensure the accuracy and utility of the publication.
    Subd. 2. Agency rules. The Revisor's Office may integrate agency rules into Minnesota
Statutes, or publish the rules as an adjunct to Minnesota Statutes, or coordinate publication of
the rules with Minnesota Statutes.
    Subd. 3. Negotiated contracts. The Revisor's Office may negotiate for all or part of the
editing, indexing, compiling, and printing of Minnesota Statutes, supplements to Minnesota
Statutes, and Laws of Minnesota and contract with a law book publisher for these services. The
provisions of chapter 16C as they relate to competitive bidding do not apply to these contracts. No
contract may be made until the revisor of statutes has consulted with the Legislative Coordinating
Commission. Failure or refusal of the commission to make a recommendation promptly shall
be deemed an affirmative recommendation.
History: 1984 c 480 s 10; 1986 c 444 s 4; 1995 c 186 s 4; 1998 c 386 art 2 s 5

3C.11 GENERAL PUBLICATION DUTIES.
    Subdivision 1. Certificate of correctness. In preparing an edition of Minnesota Statutes, a
supplement to Minnesota Statutes, or an edition of Laws of Minnesota, the Revisor's Office shall
compare each section in the edition with the original section of the statutes or with the original
section in the enrolled act from which the section was derived, together with all amendments of
the original section. In one copy of the edition, the revisor shall attach a certificate certifying that
this comparison has been made and that all sections appear to be correctly printed. The copy
containing the revisor's certificate must be filed in the office of the secretary of state as a public
record. All other copies of the edition must contain a printed copy of the certificate.
    Subd. 2. Pamphlets. The Revisor's Office shall compose, print, and deliver pamphlets
containing parts of Minnesota Statutes, parts of Minnesota Rules, or combinations of parts of
the statutes and rules as may be necessary for the use of public officers and departments. The
Revisor's Office shall use a standard form for the pamphlets. The cost of composition, printing,
and delivery of the pamphlets, together with a reasonable fee for the revisor's services, is to be
borne by the office or department requesting them. The printing must be limited to actual needs as
shown by experience or other competent proof. Revenue from the revisor's fee must be deposited
in the general fund.
    Subd. 3. Slip laws. In the time before Laws of Minnesota is published each year, the
Revisor's Office shall furnish, upon request and without charge, a copy of each law or resolution
to a member of the legislature, a legislative staff member, a constitutional officer, a justice of the
Supreme Court, or a judge of the Court of Appeals.
History: 1984 c 480 s 11; 1987 c 404 s 66; 1988 c 686 art 5 s 2

3C.12 SALE AND DISTRIBUTION OF STATUTES AND LAWS.
    Subdivision 1. Number of copies printed. The revisor shall determine how many copies of
Minnesota Statutes, supplements to Minnesota Statutes, and Laws of Minnesota are to be printed.
Subject to the requirements of subdivision 2, the revisor shall determine how the copies are
to be distributed and disposed of.
    Subd. 2. Free distribution. The revisor shall distribute without charge copies of each edition
of Minnesota Statutes, supplements to Minnesota Statutes, and Laws of Minnesota to the persons
or bodies listed in this subdivision. Before distributing the copies, the revisor shall inform these
persons or bodies of the cost of the publication and the availability of statutes and session laws on
the Internet, and shall ask whether their work requires the full number of copies authorized by this
subdivision. Unless a smaller number is needed, the revisor shall distribute:
(a) 30 copies to the Supreme Court;
(b) 30 copies to the Court of Appeals;
(c) one copy to each judge of a district court;
(d) one copy to the court administrator of each district court for use in each courtroom
of the district court;
(e) one copy to each judge, district attorney, clerk of court of the United States, and deputy
clerk of each division of the United States district court in Minnesota;
(f) 100 copies to the Office of the Attorney General;
(g) ten copies each to the governor's office, the Departments of Agriculture, Corrections,
Education, Finance, Health, Transportation, Labor and Industry, Employment and Economic
Development, Natural Resources, Public Safety, Human Services, Revenue, and the Pollution
Control Agency;
(h) two copies to the lieutenant governor;
(i) 20 copies each to the Departments of Administration and Commerce, state auditor, and
legislative auditor;
(j) one copy each to other state departments, agencies, boards, and commissions not
specifically named in this subdivision;
(k) one copy to each member of the legislature;
(l) 150 copies for the use of the senate and 200 copies for the use of the house of
representatives;
(m) 50 copies to the revisor of statutes from which the revisor shall send the appropriate
number to the Library of Congress for copyright and depository purposes;
(n) four copies to the secretary of the senate;
(o) four copies to the chief clerk of the house of representatives;
(p) 100 copies to the State Law Library;
(q) 100 copies to the Law School of the University of Minnesota;
(r) five copies each to the Minnesota Historical Society and the secretary of state;
(s) one copy each to the public library of the largest municipality of each county if the library
is not otherwise eligible to receive a free copy under this section or section 15.18; and
(t) one copy to each county library maintained pursuant to chapter 134, except in counties
containing cities of the first class. If a county has not established a county library pursuant to
chapter 134, the copy shall be provided to any public library in the county.
    Subd. 3. Marking of state copies. Copies of Minnesota Statutes distributed to public
officers, except members and officers of the legislature and officers of the United States, must be
marked with the words "State Copy" and kept for the use of the office.
    Subd. 4. Sale to county officers. Each county shall purchase from the revisor one copy each
for the use of the county attorney, sheriff, auditor, treasurer, county recorder, and superintendent
of schools.
    Subd. 5. Sale to city and town officers. Each city and town shall purchase from the revisor
the number of copies the city or town determines is needed for the use of each clerk of the city or
town.
    Subd. 6. Sale to state departments. A department, agency, board, commission, or other
instrumentality of the state listed in this section may purchase from the revisor of statutes any
additional copies which may be required.
    Subd. 7. Sale price. The revisor shall fix a reasonable sale price of an edition of Minnesota
Statutes, supplement to Minnesota Statutes, or edition of Laws of Minnesota. Revenue from
the sale of the Minnesota Statutes, supplements to Minnesota Statutes, and Laws of Minnesota
must be deposited in the general fund.
History: 1984 c 480 s 12; 1984 c 654 art 5 s 58; 1985 c 14 s 1; 1985 c 248 s 1; 1Sp1985 c
13 s 73; 1Sp1985 c 14 art 9 s 75; 1Sp1986 c 3 art 1 s 82; 1987 c 275 s 1; 1987 c 404 s 67; 1988 c
686 art 5 s 3; 1994 c 483 s 1; 1Sp1995 c 3 art 16 s 13; 1998 c 254 art 2 s 2; 1999 c 250 art 1 s 37;
1Sp2001 c 4 art 6 s 2; 2003 c 112 art 2 s 50; 2003 c 130 s 12; 2004 c 206 s 52

3C.13 LEGAL STATUS OF STATUTES.
Any volume of Minnesota Statutes, supplement to Minnesota Statutes, and Laws of
Minnesota certified by the revisor according to section 3C.11, subdivision 1, is prima facie
evidence of the statutes contained in it in all courts and proceedings.
Revised Laws of Minnesota 1905, General Statutes of Minnesota 1913, General Statutes of
Minnesota 1923, Mason's Minnesota Statutes 1927, and supplements, appendix and addenda,
or added volumes to these publications are prima facie evidence of the statutes contained in
them in all courts and proceedings.
History: 1984 c 480 s 13; 1984 c 655 art 2 s 19 subd 2