1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to courts; establishing a pilot program to fund mediation programs in 
1.3 	Koochiching and Rice Counties through a surcharge on district court filing fees; 
1.4 	appropriating money.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. PILOT PROGRAM FOR COUNTY MEDIATION.
 1.7 	(a) For the 2012-2013 biennium, a pilot program is established to fund mediation 
1.8 	programs in Koochiching and Rice Counties. Koochiching County may use the funds 
1.9 	under paragraph (b) to develop and implement a mediation program in compliance with 
1.10 	the guidelines for community dispute resolution programs and training programs adopted 
1.11 	under Minnesota Statutes, section 494.015. Rice County may use the funds under 
1.12 	paragraph (b) to expand its dispute resolution program to provide mediation to low income 
1.13 	parties in actions for dissolution of marriage. 
1.14 	(b) The district court in each of Koochiching and Rice Counties shall assess a 
1.15 	surcharge in the amount of $3 to each party that pays a civil filing fee. The district 
1.16 	court of each county shall impose a $2 assessment on every person convicted of any 
1.17 	felony, gross misdemeanor, misdemeanor, or petty misdemeanor offense. The court 
1.18 	administrator of the district court in each county shall transmit the surcharges collected 
1.19 	under this paragraph to the commissioner of management and budget for deposit in a 
1.20 	Koochiching County surcharge account or a Rice County surcharge account in the special 
1.21 	revenue fund as appropriate and amounts in each account are appropriated to that county's 
1.22 	board of commissioners for its mediation program under this section. The total amount 
1.23 	available under this paragraph for each county's program is $20,000 for each year of the 
1.24 	biennium. Assessed amounts of each county's surcharge greater than $40,000 for the 
2.1 	biennium shall be used for an independent evaluation of each county's program. Any 
2.2 	remaining amount shall be used for the county's report under paragraph (c), and if any 
2.3 	amounts remain after the report is completed, that money shall be used, until expended, 
2.4 	for the continuance of the mediation program beyond the end date of the pilot program. 
2.5 	Any amounts received under this paragraph are in addition to any other funds received for 
2.6 	that county's mediation program.
2.7 	(c) By March 15, 2013, the district court administrator and mediation program 
2.8 	in each of Koochiching and Rice Counties shall submit a report to the state court 
2.9 	administrator and the house of representatives and senate committees having jurisdiction 
2.10 	over the judiciary describing and analyzing the results of that county's program, including, 
2.11 	at least, party satisfaction with the process of alternative dispute resolution and the number 
2.12 	of cases mediated.
2.13 	(d) This section expires June 30, 2013.

2.14 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment.