S.F. No. 1361 - Summary

• Establishes a cooperative private divorce program administered by the Commissioner of the Bureau of Mediation Services, accessible online for eligible married couples seeking dissolution without court involvement.

• Requires participants to meet Minnesota residency requirements, file an "intent to divorce" form, and submit a "declaration of divorce" form signed by both spouses at least 90 days after but not more than two years after the initial filing to receive a certificate of marital termination.

• Mandates the program include secure login credentials, automated notifications between participants, identity authentication, data encryption, and a list of supportive services and community resources.

• Allows courts to enforce, modify, or vacate agreements in the declaration of divorce, address reserved issues, or issue confirmatory orders upon petition, with spousal support agreements enforceable as unmodifiable if expressly designated as final by both parties.

• Appropriates unspecified general fund dollars in fiscal year 2016 to develop and implement the program, requiring it to be operational by January 1, 2016, and directs the Bureau of Mediation Services to evaluate program effectiveness after the first and second years of operation.