Prohibitions against contacting certain persons and providing penalties

What it does

Summary by the Legislative Reference Bureau, the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.

Under current law, an individual who has been arrested for a domestic abuse incident must, unless the victim of the alleged domestic abuse signs a waiver, avoid the victim's residence and avoid contacting the victim for 72 hours following the arrest. If the individual intentionally violates this requirement, the individual must forfeit not more than $1,000 (a civil penalty). Under this bill, the individual is guilty of a misdemeanor and is subject to a fine of up to $10,000 or imprisonment of up to nine months, or both.

Under current law, when a court imposes a sentence on an individual or places an individual on probation for a conviction for a crime, the court may prohibit the individual, during his or her sentence or probation period, from contacting victims of, or co-actors in, a crime considered at sentencing if the court determines that such a prohibition would be in the interest of public protection. An individual who violates the prohibition is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor. This bill adds that a court may also prohibit the individual from contacting witnesses to the crime. In addition, this bill changes the penalty for violating a prohibition imposed following a conviction for a felony to a Class H felony.

Who's behind it

28 lawmakers are its authors⁠. 17 are Republicans and 11 are Democrats.

8 more lawmakers signed on in support⁠.

What it would cost

State agencies filed a cost estimate. Each opens as a PDF from the Legislature.

• Fiscal Estimate From DA
• Fiscal Estimate From DOC
• Fiscal Estimate From DOJ
• Fiscal Estimate From SPD