HF 2110

  1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to domestic abuse; limiting required findings 
  1.3             when awarding custody and parenting time in the 
  1.4             context of a domestic abuse hearing; amending 
  1.5             Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 518B.01, subdivision 
  1.6             6. 
  1.7   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.8      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 518B.01, 
  1.9   subdivision 6, is amended to read: 
  1.10     Subd. 6.  [RELIEF BY THE COURT.] (a) Upon notice and 
  1.11  hearing, the court may provide relief as follows: 
  1.12     (1) restrain the abusing party from committing acts of 
  1.13  domestic abuse; 
  1.14     (2) exclude the abusing party from the dwelling which the 
  1.15  parties share or from the residence of the petitioner; 
  1.16     (3) exclude the abusing party from a reasonable area 
  1.17  surrounding the dwelling or residence, which area shall be 
  1.18  described specifically in the order; 
  1.19     (4) award temporary custody or establish temporary 
  1.20  parenting time with regard to minor children of the parties on a 
  1.21  basis which gives primary consideration to the safety of the 
  1.22  victim and the children.  Except for cases in which custody is 
  1.23  contested, In addition to the primary safety considerations, the 
  1.24  court may consider particular best interest factors that are 
  1.25  found to be relevant to the temporary custody and parenting time 
  1.26  award.  Findings under section 257.025, 518.17, or 518.175 are 
  2.1   not required with respect to the particular best interest 
  2.2   factors not considered by the court.  If the court finds that 
  2.3   the safety of the victim or the children will be jeopardized by 
  2.4   unsupervised or unrestricted parenting time, the court shall 
  2.5   condition or restrict parenting time as to time, place, 
  2.6   duration, or supervision, or deny parenting time entirely, as 
  2.7   needed to guard the safety of the victim and the children.  The 
  2.8   court's decision on custody and parenting time shall in no way 
  2.9   delay the issuance of an order for protection granting other 
  2.10  relief provided for in this section.  The court must not enter a 
  2.11  parenting plan under section 518.1705 as part of an action for 
  2.12  an order for protection; 
  2.13     (5) on the same basis as is provided in chapter 518, 
  2.14  establish temporary support for minor children or a spouse, and 
  2.15  order the withholding of support from the income of the person 
  2.16  obligated to pay the support according to chapter 518; 
  2.17     (6) provide upon request of the petitioner counseling or 
  2.18  other social services for the parties, if married, or if there 
  2.19  are minor children; 
  2.20     (7) order the abusing party to participate in treatment or 
  2.21  counseling services, including requiring the abusing party to 
  2.22  successfully complete a domestic abuse counseling program or 
  2.23  educational program under section 518B.02; 
  2.24     (8) award temporary use and possession of property and 
  2.25  restrain one or both parties from transferring, encumbering, 
  2.26  concealing, or disposing of property except in the usual course 
  2.27  of business or for the necessities of life, and to account to 
  2.28  the court for all such transfers, encumbrances, dispositions, 
  2.29  and expenditures made after the order is served or communicated 
  2.30  to the party restrained in open court; 
  2.31     (9) exclude the abusing party from the place of employment 
  2.32  of the petitioner, or otherwise limit access to the petitioner 
  2.33  by the abusing party at the petitioner's place of employment; 
  2.34     (10) order the abusing party to pay restitution to the 
  2.35  petitioner; 
  2.36     (11) order the continuance of all currently available 
  3.1   insurance coverage without change in coverage or beneficiary 
  3.2   designation; and 
  3.3      (12) order, in its discretion, other relief as it deems 
  3.4   necessary for the protection of a family or household member, 
  3.5   including orders or directives to the sheriff, constable, or 
  3.6   other law enforcement or corrections officer as provided by this 
  3.7   section. 
  3.8      (b) Any relief granted by the order for protection shall be 
  3.9   for a fixed period not to exceed one year, except when the court 
  3.10  determines a longer fixed period is appropriate.  When a referee 
  3.11  presides at the hearing on the petition, the order granting 
  3.12  relief becomes effective upon the referee's signature. 
  3.13     (c) An order granting the relief authorized in paragraph 
  3.14  (a), clause (1), may not be vacated or modified in a proceeding 
  3.15  for dissolution of marriage or legal separation, except that the 
  3.16  court may hear a motion for modification of an order for 
  3.17  protection concurrently with a proceeding for dissolution of 
  3.18  marriage upon notice of motion and motion.  The notice required 
  3.19  by court rule shall not be waived.  If the proceedings are 
  3.20  consolidated and the motion to modify is granted, a separate 
  3.21  order for modification of an order for protection shall be 
  3.22  issued. 
  3.23     (d) An order granting the relief authorized in paragraph 
  3.24  (a), clause (2) or (3), is not voided by the admittance of the 
  3.25  abusing party into the dwelling from which the abusing party is 
  3.26  excluded. 
  3.27     (e) If a proceeding for dissolution of marriage or legal 
  3.28  separation is pending between the parties, the court shall 
  3.29  provide a copy of the order for protection to the court with 
  3.30  jurisdiction over the dissolution or separation proceeding for 
  3.31  inclusion in its file. 
  3.32     (f) An order for restitution issued under this subdivision 
  3.33  is enforceable as civil judgment. 
  3.34     [EFFECTIVE DATE.] This section is effective the day 
  3.35  following final enactment.