The Senate Committee on Courts and Criminal Law heard HB 1607 concerning harassment and orders for protection. The bill provides that a person who is a victim of harassment (as defined by I.C. 35-45-10-2) may file a petition for an order for protection against a person who commits harassment.
An amendment was taken by consent to create a new type of protection order for harassment, similar to workplace violence restraining orders. The process for a harassment protection order procedures would differ existing protection order procedures in the following ways: the bill does not allow for ex parte orders but would require a hearing within 15 days; the harassment protection order would be valid for one year, increased to three years if there is a prior protection order for harassment between the parties; and the court must order the petitioner or petitioner’s attorney to deliver the harassment order to the law enforcement agency for service by the end of the day in which it is granted.
Testifying in opposition of the bill was the Indiana Public Defender Council. The bill passed 7-1.
Read the bill at: http://www.iga.in.gov/legislative/2019/bills/house/1607.