NEWS RELEASE
Rep. Sandra Feist
Minnesota House of Representatives
District 39B – 651-296-4331 – rep.sandra.feist@house.mn.gov
5th Floor, Centennial Office Building, St. Paul, MN 55155
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Marlee Schlegel
marlee.schlegel@house.mn.gov
(651) 296-9873
April 7, 2025
Minnesota House Passes Bill for Court Fee Exemptions
SAINT PAUL, MINN. -- Today, the Minnesota House passed HF2184, a bill to strengthen protections for Native children and families. The legislation adds the Office of the Ombudsperson for American Indian Families to the list of entities exempt from certain court filing fees. This exemption, which already applies to federally recognized Tribes and their representatives, eliminates a financial barrier to the Ombudsperson in effectively weighing in with the Minnesota courts on complaints regarding non-compliance with the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) and the Minnesota Indian Family Preservation Act (MIFPA). The bill passed on a bipartisan vote of 127-3.
Rep. Sandra Feist (DFL – New Brighton) authored the legislation.
“This bill represents our ongoing commitment to making government work better for all Minnesotans, especially our Indigenous communities who have faced historical barriers to and discrimination by our legal systems,” said Rep. Feist. “Removing financial barriers to our court system promotes justice for those who otherwise would be without recourse for harms done to them. The justice system is for everyone – not only those who can afford it.”
The bill now heads to the Senate.
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