MN House Passes Indian Family Preservation Act in Unanimous Vote

The Minnesota House of Representatives unanimously passed the Minnesota Indian Family Preservation Act on Thursday on a bipartisan 128-0 vote.

The bill codifies sections of law that were dependent on the federal Indian Child Welfare Act into Minnesota law while also clarifying various terms undefined in the act.

The legislation also affirms the state’s policy on tribal-state relations, including the recognition of tribes as sovereign nations and the recognition that tribes have the inherent authority to determine their own jurisdiction for Indian child custody or child placement proceedings.