SENATE FLOOR VERSION - HB1845 SFLR Page 1 (Bold face denotes Committee Amendments) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 SENATE FLOOR VERSION April 4, 2023 ENGROSSED HOUSE BILL NO. 1845 By: Pittman and Kerbs of the House and Coleman of the Senate An Act relating to victim protective orders; amending 22 O.S. 2021, Section 40.3, which relates to emergency temporary orders of protecti on for certain victims; directing peace officers to serve order and complete return of service when filing petition; directing court clerk to receive petitio n; providing for the filing and issuance of petition despite absence of service; amending 22 O.S. 2 021, Sections 60.3 and 60.16, which relate to the Protection from Domestic Abuse Act; directing peace officers to serve order and complete return of service when filing petition; directing court clerk to receive petition; providing for the filing and issua nce of petition despite absence of service; increasing time limitation for effectiveness of emergency temporary orders; providing for notification of hearing date, time and location; directing peace officer to provide copies of order to victim and defendan t; and providing an effective date. BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA: SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 22 O.S. 2021, Section 40.3, is amended to read as follows: SENATE FLOOR VERSION - HB1845 SFLR Page 2 (Bold face denotes Committee Amendments) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Section 40.3 A. When the court is not open for business, the victim of domestic violence, stalking, harassment, rape, forcible sodomy, a sex offense, kidnapping or assault and battery with a deadly weapon or member of the immediate family of a victim of first-degree murder may request a petition for an emergency temporary order of protection. The peace officer making the preliminary investigation shall: 1. Provide the victim or member of the immediate family of a victim of first-degree murder with a petition for an eme rgency temporary order of protection and, if necessary, assist the victim or member of the immediate family of a victim of first -degree murder in completing the petition form. The petitio n shall be in substantially the same form as provided by Section 60. 2 of this title for a petition for protective order in domestic abuse cases; 2. Immediately notify, by telephone or otherwise, a judge of the district court of the request for an emergenc y temporary order of protection and describe the circumstances. The judge shall inform the peace officer of the decision to approve or disapprove the emergency temporary order; 3. Inform the victim or member of the immediate family of a victim of first-degree murder whether the judge has approved or disapproved the emerg ency temporary order. If an emergency temporary order has been approved, the peace officer shall provide the victim, or a responsible adult if the victim is a minor child or SENATE FLOOR VERSION - HB1845 SFLR Page 3 (Bold face denotes Committee Amendments) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 an incompetent person or member of the immediate family of a victim of first-degree murder, with a copy of the petition and a written statement signed by the peace officer attesting that the judge has approved the emergency temporary order of protection; and 4. Notify the person subject to th e emergency temporary protection order of t he issuance and conditions of the order, if known. Notification pursuant to this paragraph may be made personally by the peace officer upon arrest or, upon identification of the assailant, notice shall be given by any law enforcement peace officer. A copy of the petition and the statement of the peace officer attesting to the order of the judge shall be made available to the person; and 5. Make every attempt to serve the subject of the o rder and complete a return of service when filing the petition with the district court. If the peace officer is unable to obtain service, the petition shall be filed with the district co urt the next business day. The court clerk shall receive the petitio n upon delivery by the peace officer and document the hearing date a nd time assigned to the case as documented by the peace officer. If the court clerk observes that service has not been obtained, the petition shall still be filed by the court clerk and i ssued to the appropriate office of the county sheriff to obtain serv ice with priority. SENATE FLOOR VERSION - HB1845 SFLR Page 4 (Bold face denotes Committee Amendments) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 B. The forms utilized by law enforcement agencies in carrying out the provisions of this section m ay be substantially similar to those used under Section 60.2 of this t itle. SECTION 2. AMENDATORY 22 O.S. 2021, Section 60.3, is amended to read as follows: Section 60.3 A. If a plaintiff requests an emergency ex parte order pursuant to Section 60.2 o f this title, the court shall hold an ex parte hearing on the same day th e petition is filed, if the court finds sufficient grounds within the scope of the Protection from Domestic Abuse Act stated in the petition to hold such a hearing. The court may, fo r good cause shown at the hearing, issue any emergency ex parte order tha t it finds necessary to protect the victim from immediate and present danger of domestic abuse, stalking, or harassment. The emergency ex parte order shall be in effect until after t he full hearing is conducted. Provided, if the defendant, after having b een served, does not appear at the hearing , the emergency ex parte order shall remain in effect until the defendant is served with the permanent order. If the terms of the permanent order are the same as those in the emergency or der, or are less restrictive, then it is not necessary to serve the defendant with the permanent order. The Administrative Office of the Courts shall develop a standard form for emergency ex parte protective orders. SENATE FLOOR VERSION - HB1845 SFLR Page 5 (Bold face denotes Committee Amendments) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 B. An emergency ex parte protective or der authorized by this section shall include the name, sex, race, da te of birth of the defendant, and the dates of issue and expiration of the protective order. C. If a plaintiff requests an emergency tempora ry ex parte order of protection as provided by Section 40.3 of this title , the judge who is notified of the request by a peace officer may issue such order verbally to the peace officer or in writing when there is reasonable cause to believe that the order is ne cessary to protect the victim from immedi ate and present danger of domest ic abuse. When the order is issued verbally the judge shall direct the peace officer to complete and sign a statement attesting to the order. The emergency temporary ex parte order shall be in effect until the court date that was assigned by the court during t he approval of the order. Emergency temporary ex parte orders shall be heard within fourteen (14) days after issuance. The court shall provide a list of available court dates for he arings. The peace officer shall mak e every attempt to serve the subject of the order and complete a ret urn of service when filing the petition with the district court. If the peace officer is unable to obtain service, the petition shall be filed with the district court the next business da y. The court clerk shall receive the petition upon delivery by the peace officer and document the hearing date and time assigned to the case as documented by the peace officer. If SENATE FLOOR VERSION - HB1845 SFLR Page 6 (Bold face denotes Committee Amendments) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 the court clerk observes that service h as not been obtained, the petition shall still be filed by the court clerk and issued to the appropriate office of the county sheriff to obtain service with priority. D. If an action for divorce, separate maintenance, guardianship, adoption or any other p roceeding involving custody or visitation has been filed and is pending in a county different than the county in which the emergency ex parte order was issued, the hearing on the petition for a final protective order shall be transferred and held in the sa me county in which the action for divorce, separate maintenance, guardianship, adoption or any other proceeding involving custody or visitation is pending. SECTION 3. AMENDATORY 22 O.S. 2021, Sectio n 60.16, is amended to read as follows: Section 60.16 A. A peace officer shall not discourage a victim of domestic abuse from pressin g charges against the assailant of the victim. B. 1. A peace officer may arrest without a warrant a person anywhere, including a place of residence, if the peace officer has probable cause to believe the person within the preceding seventy - two (72) hours has committed an act of domestic abuse as defined by Section 60.1 of this title, although the assault did not take plac e in the presence of the peace officer. A peace officer may not arrest a person pursuant to this section without first observing a SENATE FLOOR VERSION - HB1845 SFLR Page 7 (Bold face denotes Committee Amendments) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 recent physical injury to, or an impairment of the physical condition of, the alleged victim. 2. An arrest, when made pursu ant to this section, shall be based on an investigation by the peace officer of the circumstances surrounding the incident, past history of violence between the parties, statements of any children present in the residence, and any other relevant factors. A determination by the peace officer shall be made pursuant to the i nvestigation as to which party is the dominant aggressor in the situ ation. A peace officer may arrest the dominant aggressor. C. When the court is not open for business, the victim of domestic abuse may request a petition for an emergency temporary order of protection. The peace officer making the preliminary investigation shall: 1. Provide the victim with a petition for an emergency temporary order of protection and, if necessary, assi st the victim in completing the petition form. The petition shall b e in substantially the same form as provided by Section 60.2 of this title for a petition for protective order; 2. Immediately notify, by telephone or otherwise, a judge of the district court of the request for an emergency temporary order of protection and describe the circumstances. The judge shall inform the peace off icer of the decision to approve or disapprove the emergency temporary order; SENATE FLOOR VERSION - HB1845 SFLR Page 8 (Bold face denotes Committee Amendments) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 3. Inform the victim whether the judge has approved or disapproved the emergency temporary order. If an emerg ency temporary order has been approved, the peace officer shall provide the victim, or a responsible adult if the victim is a minor child or an incompetent person, with a copy of the petit ion and a written statement signed by the peace officer attesting th at the judge has approved the emergency temporary order of protectio n and notify the victim that the emergency temporary order shall be effective only until the close of business on the ne xt day that the court is open for business until the date of the hea ring set by the judge. The peace officer requesting the order shall be notified by the judge of the date, time, and courtroom location in which the hearing will be held or shall be notifie d of the date, time, and location of the hearing from a list of ava ilable court dates provided by the judge. The peace officer shall p rovide the victim and subject of the order with a copy of the completed order and return the original order to the district court; 4. Notify the person subject to the emergency temporary protection order of the issuance and conditions of the orde r. Notification pursuant to this paragraph may be made personally by the peace officer or in writing. A copy of the petition and the statement of the peace officer attesting to the order of the j udge shall be made available to such person; and SENATE FLOOR VERSION - HB1845 SFLR Page 9 (Bold face denotes Committee Amendments) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 5. File a copy of the petition and the statement of the peace officer with the district court of the county immediately upon the opening of the court o n the next day the court is open for business. The peace officer shall make ever y attempt to serve the subject of the order and complete a return of service when filing the petition with the district court. If the peace officer is unable to obtain service, the petition shall be filed with the district court the next business day. Th e court clerk shall receive the petition u pon delivery by the peace officer and document the hearing date and time assigned to the case as documented by the peace officer. If the court clerk observes that service has not been obt ained, the petition shall still be filed by the court clerk and issu ed to the appropriate office of the county sheriff to obtain service with priority. D. The forms utilized by law enforcement agencie s in carrying out the provisions of this section may be substantially similar to those used under Section 60.2 of this title. SECTION 4. This act shall become effective November 1, 2023. COMMITTEE REPORT BY: COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY April 4, 2023 - DO PASS