1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to courts; conciliation court; providing 
  1.3             venue for actions against foreign and domestic 
  1.4             corporations; amending Minnesota Statutes 1998, 
  1.5             section 491A.01, subdivision 7, and by adding a 
  1.6             subdivision. 
  1.7   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.8      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 491A.01, is 
  1.9   amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
  1.10     Subd. 6a.  [JURISDICTION; BUSINESS CORPORATIONS.] The 
  1.11  conciliation court has jurisdiction to determine a civil action 
  1.12  commenced by a plaintiff residing in the county against a 
  1.13  corporation organized under chapter 302A, regardless of whether 
  1.14  the cause of action arose in that county or the corporation has 
  1.15  a place of business in that county. 
  1.16     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 491A.01, 
  1.17  subdivision 7, is amended to read: 
  1.18     Subd. 7.  [JURISDICTION; FOREIGN DEFENDANTS.] (a) If a 
  1.19  foreign corporation is subject by law to service of process in 
  1.20  this state or is subject to service of process outside this 
  1.21  state under section 543.19, a conciliation court action may be 
  1.22  commenced against the foreign corporation: 
  1.23     (1) in the county where the corporation's registered agent 
  1.24  is located; 
  1.25     (2) in the county where the cause of action arose, if the 
  1.26  corporation has a place of business in that county either at the 
  2.1   time the cause of action arose or at the time the action was 
  2.2   commenced; or 
  2.3      (3) in the county in which the plaintiff resides, if the 
  2.4   corporation does not appoint or maintain a registered agent in 
  2.5   this state, withdraws from the state, or the certificate of 
  2.6   authority of the corporation is canceled or revoked. 
  2.7      (b) If a nonresident other than a foreign corporation is 
  2.8   subject to service of process outside this state under section 
  2.9   543.19, a conciliation court action may be commenced against the 
  2.10  nonresident in the county in which the plaintiff resides. 
  2.11     Sec. 3.  [EFFECTIVE DATE; APPLICATION.] 
  2.12     Sections 1 and 2 are effective August 1, 2000, and apply to 
  2.13  actions commenced on or after that date.