House passes omnibus judiciary policy bill

Updates and new provisions to civil law statutes related to property, data, civil rights, boards, contracts, forfeitures, marriage, and name changes received a favorable verdict Wednesday evening.

The House passed HF447, the omnibus judiciary policy bill, 70-57 and sent it to the Senate.

Rep. Jamie Becker-Finn (DFL-Roseville) sponsors the proposed legislation.

Notable provisions in the bill would:

• allow notaries public who are licensed in Minnesota to register to perform marriages;
• create a new definition of “gender identity” in the Minnesota Human Rights Act;
• permit a person filing a name change after a divorce to go back to their pre-divorce name without a criminal history check;
• amend a part of the Minnesota Human Rights Act providing specific instances of discrimination against persons with disabilities to include that places of public accommodation must provide closed-captioned television when television is provided at that location to others;
• allow lawsuits seeking damages to continue after the person suing has died;
• modify the types of educational data that can be made public;
• classify tax returns or bank account statements submitted to a political subdivision as part of an application for a license as private data;
• limit the scope of indemnity agreements in public construction contracts; and
• prohibit employers from asking job applicants about their past pay history.