House approves trust-code changes in Senate File 571, adds tribal-land clarification

The Minnesota House of Representatives passed Senate File 571 as amended on third reading, adopting a package of changes to the state's trust code that lengthen maximum trust duration, raise the threshold for terminating certain trusts without court proceedings and expand an estranged‑parent inheritance prohibition.

Members said the bill reflects technical updates recommended by the Minnesota State Bar Association after the 2015 overhaul of the trust code. "This bill sets a time period that is roughly the median of other states maximums," Representative Scott said while explaining the measure. Scott also said the bill "increases the size of a trust that can be terminated without a court proceeding" from $50,000 to $150,000 and that it "codifies a handful of recent appellate court decisions" affecting the revised trust code.

The bill also extends a statutory ban that prevents estranged parents from inheriting from their children. Under the change described on the floor, that prohibition would apply to children of all ages rather than only minor children. An amendment adopted at the desk clarifies that the estranged‑parent inheritance section — section 29 of the bill — does not apply to Indian trust lands, a carve‑out the bill author said likely reflects current law but was inserted "to make that crystal clear."

Representative Scott moved the A1 amendment to incorporate language requested by the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council; the amendment was adopted without a recorded roll call after members voted by voice. Representative Moller of Ramsey urged support for the amendment, saying it was important to consider impacts on the state's "11 sovereign tribal nations." Representative Liebling of Olmsted recommended a green vote on the final bill.

The clerk conducted a roll call for third reading; the clerk recorded "there being 134 ayes and 0 nays, the bill is passed as amended and its title is agreed to." The House also recorded that the bill's title was agreed to.

Details the House discussed publicly on the floor included: clarifying fiduciary responsibilities for persons with different roles in directed trusts; increasing the non‑court termination threshold from $50,000 to $150,000; extending the estranged‑parent inheritance prohibition to children of any age; and codifying recent appellate court interpretations of the revised trust code adopted in 2015. The amendment approved on the floor expressly excepts Indian trust lands from the estranged‑parent provision.

The transcript did not specify the new maximum trust duration in years or the exact statutory citations for the appellate decisions the bill codifies. The final enrolled bill and official legislative documents will list precise statutory amendments, section numbers and any effective dates.

Votes at a glance: Senate File 571 (as amended) — Passed by the House on third reading; recorded tally 134 yes, 0 no. Amendment A1 (MIAC carve‑out for Indian trust lands) — Adopted by voice vote; no roll call recorded.