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

1.5 	Section 1. PILOT PROGRAM FOR RICE COUNTY MEDIATION.
 1.6 	(a) Rice County may expand its dispute resolution program to include a pilot 
1.7 	program to provide mediation for low-income parties in dissolution of marriage 
1.8 	proceedings and use the funds under paragraph (b) for that purpose.
1.9 	(b) If the Rice County Board of Commissioners authorizes expansion of the dispute 
1.10 	resolution program and imposition of the surcharges, the district court in Rice County 
1.11 	shall impose, and the court administrator shall collect, a $3 surcharge on each party that 
1.12 	pays a civil filing fee and a $2 surcharge on every person convicted of a misdemeanor or 
1.13 	petty misdemeanor on the state payables list.
1.14 	(c) The court administrator shall transmit the surcharges collected under paragraph 
1.15 	(b) to the commissioner of management and budget. The surcharges are deposited in a 
1.16 	Rice County surcharge account in the special revenue fund and the amounts collected are 
1.17 	appropriated to the state court administrator for a grant to Rice County for the mediation 
1.18 	program for use until expended. Amounts received under this paragraph are in addition to 
1.19 	any other funds received for the Rice County mediation program.
1.20 	(d) By March 15, 2017, the district court administrator and mediation program 
1.21 	director in Rice County shall submit a report to the state court administrator, and the house 
1.22 	of representatives and senate committees having jurisdiction over judiciary, describing 
1.23 	and analyzing the results of the county's program, including party satisfaction with the 
1.24 	process of alternative dispute resolution and the number of cases mediated.
2.1 	(e) This section expires June 30, 2017.

2.2 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective July 1, 2013.