MN SF4033

Requires both parties to complete a four-hour online or in-person stepfamily education course when one party has custody or parenting time with a minor child from a previous relationship before issuance of a marriage license, effective January 1, 2021.

Reduces civil marriage license fee from $110 to $50 for couples completing stepfamily education, with $25 retained by county and $25 distributed to parenting centers, health programs, displaced homemaker programs, and the Minnesota couples on the brink project.

Stepfamily education programs must be approved by the Minnesota couples on the brink project and must be based on research covering stepfamily challenges, co-parenting dynamics, couple communication skills, and domestic violence information; programs must offer sliding fee scales and free courses for low-income participants.

County clerks may waive the education requirement if a course is unavailable in the applicant's language and must display information about the requirement and fee reduction on their websites and printed materials.

Requires annual reporting to the Department of Health on the number of civil marriage licenses issued with stepfamily education fees paid and marriage license applications where one party has custody or parenting time of a minor child from a previous relationship.