Minnesota Legislature Passes Bill to “Fix” the Minnesota SCT Decision In re R.S.

Minnesota Legislature Passes Bill to “Fix” the Minn. SCT Decision In re R.S.

HF 252, which was introduced by Rep. Susan Allen, overcame its final hurdle in the Minnesota Legislature by passing the House by a wide margin on May 10th. It passed the Senate with an equally wide margin the previous week and was signed into law on May 16th.

HF 252 reverses the affects of the Minn. SCT’s decision In the Matter of the Welfare of the Child of R.S. and L.S., wherein the Court denied a transfer of jurisdiction to a tribal court in a proceeding at the pre-adoptive stage. HF 252 amends Minnesota Statute 260.771, Subd. 3 to allow for transfers of jurisdiction at all four stages of a child custody proceeding: involuntary foster care placements; termination of parental rights; pre-adoptive; and adoption proceedings. HF 252 is a tremendous accomplishment for the 11 tribes and bands in Minnesota as well as a brave and courageous action by Rep. Allen.

Our prior post on this legislation is here.