2003 Minnesota Statutes

     480.0515 Papers to be submitted on recycled paper. 

    Subdivision 1.    Definitions.  (a) The definitions in 
 this subdivision apply to this section. 

    (b) "Attorney" means an attorney at law admitted to 
 practice law in this state.  

    (c) "Document" means a document that is required or 
 permitted to be filed with a court concerning an action that is 
 to be commenced or is pending before the court.  

    Subd. 2.    Requirement.  (a) Except as provided in 
 subdivision 3, a document submitted by an attorney to a court of 
 this state, and all papers appended to the document, must be 
 submitted on paper containing not less than ten percent 
 postconsumer material, as defined in section 115A.03, 
 subdivision 24b.  

    (b) A court may not refuse a document solely because the 
 document was not submitted on recycled paper. 

    Subd. 3.    Exceptions.  (a) Subdivision 1 does not 
 apply to: 

    (1) a photograph; 

    (2) an original document that was prepared or printed 
 before January 1, 1996; 

    (3) a document that was not created at the direction or 
 under the control of the submitting attorney; 

    (4) a facsimile copy otherwise permitted to be filed with 
 the court in lieu of the original document, provided that if the 
 original is also required to be filed, it must be submitted in 
 compliance with this section; or 

    (5) nonrecycled paper and preprinted forms acquired or 
 printed before January 1, 1996. 

    (b) This section does not apply if recycled paper is not 
 readily available. 

    HIST: 1995 c 247 art 1 s 58