HF 2943 Summary

• Adds sexual abuse conviction as a ground exempting parents from family reunification requirements in child protection cases, specifically when a parent has committed sexual abuse as defined in Minnesota Statutes section 626.556, subdivision 2, against the child or another child of the parent.

• Prohibits reunification when a parent has been convicted of murder or manslaughter (sections 609.185 to 609.20) regarding another child, or received a stay of adjudication for sexual abuse offenses.

• Requires the court to file either permanency pleadings or a termination of parental rights petition within 30 days when a prima facie determination is made that a parent has committed sexual abuse.

• Maintains existing exemptions from reunification requirements for egregious harm, prior involuntary termination of parental rights to another child, abandonment, and predatory offender registration requirements.

• Allows courts to require reasonable reunification efforts only after a hearing with clear and convincing evidence that the prima facie determination is unsupported, even in sexual abuse cases.