BILL NUMBER: AB 429 CHAPTERED 10/04/05 CHAPTER 467 FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE OCTOBER 4, 2005 APPROVED BY GOVERNOR OCTOBER 4, 2005 PASSED THE ASSEMBLY AUGUST 29, 2005 PASSED THE SENATE AUGUST 23, 2005 AMENDED IN SENATE AUGUST 18, 2005 AMENDED IN SENATE JUNE 22, 2005 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 29, 2005 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Chu FEBRUARY 15, 2005 An act to amend Section 527.8 of the Code of Civil Procedure, to amend Section 6383 of the Family Code, and to amend Section 15657.03 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to temporary restraining orders and protective orders. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 429, Chu Temporary restraining orders and protective orders. (1) Existing law requires a court to order the plaintiff or his or her attorney to deliver a copy of each temporary restraining order or injunction with respect to workplace violence to the law enforcement agencies within the court's discretion as are requested by the plaintiff. This bill would further provide that, at the request of the plaintiff, such an order shall be served on the defendant, regardless of whether the defendant has been taken into custody, by any law enforcement officer who is present at the scene of reported unlawful violence or a credible threat of violence involving the parties to the proceedings. The bill would also provide that the plaintiff shall provide the officer with an endorsed copy of the order and proof of service that the officer shall complete and send to the issuing court. The bill would provide that upon receiving information at the scene of an incident of unlawful violence or a credible threat of violence that a protective order has been issued under this provision, or that a person who has been taken into custody is the subject of an order, if the plaintiff or the protected person cannot produce an endorsed copy of the order, a law enforcement officer shall immediately attempt to verify the existence of the order. The bill would provide that if the law enforcement officer determines that a protective order has been issued, but not served, the officer shall immediately notify the defendant of the terms of the order, obtain the defendant's address, and enforce the order, as specified. The bill would also provide that the law enforcement officer's verbal notice of the terms of the order shall constitute service of the order and sufficient legal notice, as specified. The bill would also require the plaintiff to mail an endorsed copy of the order to the defendant's mailing address provided to the law enforcement officer within one business day of the reported incident of unlawful violence or a credible threat of violence at which a verbal notice of the terms of the order was provided by a law enforcement officer. By requiring new duties of law enforcement, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (2) Existing law provides for temporary restraining orders or emergency protective orders with respect to domestic violence and elder abuse, as specified. Existing law requires a law enforcement officer, if a protective order has been issued, but not served, to immediately notify the respondent of the terms of the order and, with respect to an order relating to elder abuse, to enforce the order at that time. This bill would additionally require the officer to notify the respondent of where a written copy of the order can be obtained and, with respect to an order relating to domestic violence, to enforce the order at that time. (3) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 527.8 of the Code of Civil Procedure is amended to read: 527.8. (a) Any employer, whose employee has suffered unlawful violence or a credible threat of violence from any individual, that can reasonably be construed to be carried out or to have been carried out at the workplace, may seek a temporary restraining order and an injunction on behalf of the employee prohibiting further unlawful violence or threats of violence by that individual. (b) For the purposes of this section: (1) "Unlawful violence" is any assault or battery, or stalking as prohibited in Section 646.9 of the Penal Code, but shall not include lawful acts of self-defense or defense of others. (2) "Credible threat of violence" is a knowing and willful statement or course of conduct that would place a reasonable person in fear for his or her safety, or the safety of his or her immediate family, and that serves no legitimate purpose. (3) "Course of conduct" is a pattern of conduct composed of a series of acts over a period of time, however short, evidencing a continuity of purpose, including following or stalking an employee to or from the place of work; entering the workplace; following an employee during hours of employment; making telephone calls to an employee; or sending correspondence to an employee by any means, including, but not limited to, the use of the public or private mails, interoffice mail, fax, or computer e-mail. (c) This section does not permit a court to issue a temporary restraining order or injunction prohibiting speech or other activities that are constitutionally protected, or otherwise protected by Section 527.3 or any other provision of law. (d) For purposes of this section, the terms "employer" and "employee" mean persons defined in Section 350 of the Labor Code. "Employer" also includes a federal agency, the state, a state agency, a city, county, or district, and a private, public, or quasi-public corporation, or any public agency thereof or therein. "Employee" also includes the members of boards of directors of private, public, and quasi-public corporations and elected and appointed public officers. For purposes of this section only, "employee" also includes a volunteer or independent contractor who performs services for the employer at the employer's worksite. (e) Upon filing a petition for an injunction under this section, the plaintiff may obtain a temporary restraining order in accordance with subdivision (a) of Section 527, if the plaintiff also files an affidavit that, to the satisfaction of the court, shows reasonable proof that an employee has suffered unlawful violence or a credible threat of violence by the defendant, and that great or irreparable harm would result to an employee. In the discretion of the court, and on a showing of good cause, a temporary restraining order or injunction issued under this section may include other named family or household members who reside with the employee. A temporary restraining order granted under this section shall remain in effect, at the court's discretion, for a period not to exceed 15 days, unless otherwise modified or terminated by the court. (f) Within 15 days of the filing of the petition, a hearing shall be held on the petition for the injunction. The defendant may file a response that explains, excuses, justifies, or denies the alleged unlawful violence or credible threats of violence or may file a cross-complaint under this section. At the hearing, the judge shall receive any testimony that is relevant and may make an independent inquiry. Moreover, if the defendant is a current employee of the entity requesting the injunction, the judge shall receive evidence concerning the employer's decision to retain, terminate, or otherwise discipline the defendant. If the judge finds by clear and convincing evidence that the defendant engaged in unlawful violence or made a credible threat of violence, an injunction shall issue prohibiting further unlawful violence or threats of violence. An injunction issued pursuant to this section shall have a duration of not more than three years. At any time within the three months before the expiration of the injunction, the plaintiff may apply for a renewal of the injunction by filing a new petition for an injunction under this section. (g) This section does not preclude either party from representation by private counsel or from appearing on his or her own behalf. (h) Upon filing of a petition for an injunction under this section, the defendant shall be personally served with a copy of the petition, temporary restraining order, if any, and notice of hearing of the petition. Service shall be made at least five days before the hearing. The court may, for good cause, on motion of the plaintiff or on its own motion, shorten the time for service on the defendant. (i) (1) The court shall order the plaintiff or the attorney for the plaintiff to deliver a copy of each temporary restraining order or injunction, or modification or termination thereof, granted under this section, by the close of the business day on which the order was granted, to the law enforcement agencies within the court's discretion as are requested by the plaintiff. Each appropriate law enforcement agency shall make available information as to the existence and current status of these orders to law enforcement officers responding to the scene of reported unlawful violence or a credible threat of violence. (2) At the request of the plaintiff, an order issued under this section shall be served on the defendant, regardless of whether the defendant has been taken into custody, by any law enforcement officer who is present at the scene of reported unlawful violence or a credible threat of violence involving the parties to the proceedings. The plaintiff shall provide the officer with an endorsed copy of the order and proof of service that the officer shall complete and send to the issuing court. (3) Upon receiving information at the scene of an incident of unlawful violence or a credible threat of violence that a protective order has been issued under this section, or that a person who has been taken into custody is the subject of an order, if the plaintiff or the protected person cannot produce an endorsed copy of the order, a law enforcement officer shall immediately attempt to verify the existence of the order. (4) If the law enforcement officer determines that a protective order has been issued, but not served, the officer shall immediately notify the defendant of the terms of the order and obtain the defendant's address. The law enforcement officer shall at that time also enforce the order, but may not arrest or take the defendant into custody for acts in violation of the order that were committed prior to the verbal notice of the terms and conditions of the order. The law enforcement officer's verbal notice of the terms of the order shall constitute service of the order and constitutes sufficient notice for the purposes of this section and for the purposes of Section 273.6 and subdivision (g) of Section 12021 of the Penal Code. The plaintiff shall mail an endorsed copy of the order to the defendant's mailing address provided to the law enforcement officer within one business day of the reported incident of unlawful violence or a credible threat of violence at which a verbal notice of the terms of the order was provided by a law enforcement officer. (j) (1) A person subject to a protective order issued under this section shall not own, possess, purchase, receive, or attempt to purchase or receive a firearm while the protective order is in effect. (2) The court shall order a person subject to a protective order issued under this section to relinquish any firearms he or she owns or possesses pursuant to Section 527.9. (3) Every person who owns, possesses, purchases or receives, or attempts to purchase or receive a firearm while the protective order is in effect is punishable pursuant to subdivision (g) of Section 12021 of the Penal Code. (k) Any intentional disobedience of any temporary restraining order or injunction granted under this section is punishable pursuant to Section 273.6 of the Penal Code. (l) Nothing in this section may be construed as expanding, diminishing, altering, or modifying the duty, if any, of an employer to provide a safe workplace for employees and other persons. (m) The Judicial Council shall develop forms, instructions, and rules for scheduling of hearings and other procedures established pursuant to this section. The forms for the petition and response shall be simple and concise, and their use by parties in actions brought pursuant to this section shall be mandatory. (n) A temporary restraining order or injunction relating to harassment or domestic violence issued by a court pursuant to this section shall be issued on forms adopted by the Judicial Council of California and that have been approved by the Department of Justice pursuant to subdivision (i) of Section 6380 of the Family Code. However, the fact that an order issued by a court pursuant to this section was not issued on forms adopted by the Judicial Council and approved by the Department of Justice shall not, in and of itself, make the order unenforceable. (o) Information on any temporary restraining order or injunction relating to harassment or domestic violence issued by a court pursuant to this section shall be transmitted to the Department of Justice in accordance with subdivision (b) of Section 6380 of the Family Code. (p) There is no filing fee for a petition that alleges that a person has inflicted or threatened violence against an employee of the petitioner, or stalked the employee, or acted or spoke in any other manner that has placed the employee in reasonable fear of violence, and that seeks protective or restraining orders or injunctions restraining stalking or future violence or threats of violence, in any action brought pursuant to this section. No fee shall be paid for filing a response to a petition alleging these acts. SEC. 2. Section 6383 of the Family Code is amended to read: 6383. (a) A temporary restraining order or emergency protective order issued under this part shall, on request of the petitioner, be served on the respondent, whether or not the respondent has been taken into custody, by any law enforcement officer who is present at the scene of reported domestic violence involving the parties to the proceeding. (b) The petitioner shall provide the officer with an endorsed copy of the order and a proof of service that the officer shall complete and transmit to the issuing court. (c) It is a rebuttable presumption that the proof of service was signed on the date of service. (d) Upon receiving information at the scene of a domestic violence incident that a protective order has been issued under this part, or that a person who has been taken into custody is the respondent to that order, if the protected person cannot produce an endorsed copy of the order, a law enforcement officer shall immediately inquire of the Department of Justice Domestic Violence Restraining Order System to verify the existence of the order. (e) If the law enforcement officer determines that a protective order has been issued, but not served, the officer shall immediately notify the respondent of the terms of the order and where a written copy of the order can be obtained and the officer shall, at that time, also enforce the order. The law enforcement officer's verbal notice of the terms of the order shall constitute service of the order and is sufficient notice for the purposes of this section and for the purposes of Section 273.6 and subdivision (g) of Section 12021 of the Penal Code. (f) If a report is required under Section 13730 of the Penal Code, or if no report is required, then in the daily incident log, the officer shall provide the name and assignment of the officer notifying the respondent pursuant to subdivision (e) and the case number of the order. (g) Upon service of the order outside of the court, a law enforcement officer shall advise the respondent to go to the local court to obtain a copy of the order containing the full terms and conditions of the order. (h) There shall be no civil liability on the part of, and no cause of action for, false arrest or false imprisonment against any peace officer who makes an arrest pursuant to a protective or restraining order that is regular upon its face, if the peace officer in making the arrest acts in good faith and has reasonable cause to believe that the person against whom the order is issued has notice of the order and has committed an act in violation of the order. If there is more than one civil order regarding the same parties, the peace officer shall enforce the order that was issued last. If there are both civil and criminal orders regarding the same parties, the peace officer shall enforce the criminal order issued last, subject to the provisions of subdivisions (h) and (i) of Section 136.2 of the Penal Code. Nothing in this section shall be deemed to exonerate a peace officer from liability for the unreasonable use of force in the enforcement of the order. The immunities afforded by this section shall not affect the availability of any other immunity which may apply, including, but not limited to, Sections 820.2 and 820.4 of the Government Code. SEC. 3. Section 15657.03 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read: 15657.03. (a) An elder or dependent adult who has suffered abuse as defined in Section 15610.07 may seek protective orders as provided in this section. (b) For the purposes of this section, "protective order" means an order that includes any of the following restraining orders, whether issued ex parte, after notice and hearing, or in a judgment: (1) An order enjoining a party from abusing, intimidating, molesting, attacking, striking, stalking, threatening, sexually assaulting, battering, harassing, telephoning, including, but not limited to, annoying telephone calls as described in Section 653m of the Penal Code, destroying personal property, contacting, either directly or indirectly, by mail or otherwise, or coming within a specified distance of, or disturbing the peace of the petitioner. (2) An order excluding a party from the petitioner's residence or dwelling, except that this order shall not be issued if legal or equitable title to, or lease of, the residence or dwelling is in the sole name of the party to be excluded or is in the name of the party to be excluded and any other party besides the petitioner. (3) An order enjoining a party from specified behavior that the court determines is necessary to effectuate orders described in paragraph (1) or (2). (c) An order may be issued under this section, with or without notice, to restrain any person for the purpose of preventing a recurrence of abuse, if an affidavit shows, to the satisfaction of the court, reasonable proof of a past act or acts of abuse of the petitioning elder or dependent adult. (d) (1) Upon filing a petition for protective orders under this section, the petitioner may obtain a temporary restraining order in accordance with Section 527 of the Code of Civil Procedure, except to the extent this section provides a rule that is inconsistent. The temporary restraining order may include any of the protective orders described in subdivision (b). However, the court may issue an ex parte order excluding a party from the petitioner's residence or dwelling only on a showing of all of the following: (A) Facts sufficient for the court to ascertain that the party who will stay in the dwelling has a right under color of law to possession of the premises. (B) That the party to be excluded has assaulted or threatens to assault the petitioner. (C) That physical or emotional harm would otherwise result to the petitioner. (2) If a temporary restraining order is granted without notice, the matter shall be made returnable on an order requiring cause to be shown why a permanent order should not be granted, on the earliest day that the business of the court will permit, but not later than 20 days or, if good cause appears to the court, 25 days from the date the temporary restraining order is granted, unless the order is otherwise modified or terminated by the court. (e) The court may issue, upon notice and a hearing, any of the orders set forth in subdivision (b). The court may issue, after notice and hearing, an order excluding a person from a residence or dwelling if the court finds that physical or emotional harm would otherwise result to the other party. (f) In the discretion of the court, an order issued after notice and a hearing under this section may have a duration of not more than three years, subject to termination or modification by further order of the court either on written stipulation filed with the court or on the motion of a party. These orders may be renewed upon the request of a party, either for three years or permanently, without a showing of any further abuse since the issuance of the original order, subject to termination or modification by further order of the court either on written stipulation filed with the court or on the motion of a party. The failure to state the expiration date on the face of the form creates an order with a duration of three years from the date of issuance. (g) Upon the filing of a petition for protective orders under this section, the respondent shall be personally served with a copy of the petition, notice of the hearing or order to show cause, temporary restraining order, if any, and any affidavits in support of the petition. Service shall be made at least two days before the hearing. The court may, on motion of the petitioner or on its own motion, shorten the time for service on the respondent. (h) The court may, upon the filing of an affidavit by the applicant that the respondent could not be served within the time required by statute, reissue an order previously issued and dissolved by the court for failure to serve the respondent. The reissued order shall be made returnable on the earliest day that the business of the court will permit, but not later than 20 days or, if good cause appears to the court, 25 days from the date of reissuance. The reissued order shall state on its face the date of expiration of the order. (i) (1) If the person named in a temporary restraining order is personally served with the order and notice of hearing with respect to a restraining order or protective order based thereon, but the person does not appear at the hearing, either personally or by counsel, and the terms and conditions of the restraining order or protective order, are identical to the temporary restraining order, except for the duration of the order, then the restraining order or protective order may be served on the person by first-class mail sent to that person at the most current address for the person available to the court. (2) The judicial form for orders issued pursuant to this subdivision shall contain a statement in substantially the following form: "NO ADDITIONAL PROOF OF SERVICE IS REQUIRED IF THE FACE OF THIS FORM INDICATES THAT BOTH PARTIES WERE PERSONALLY PRESENT AT THE HEARING WHERE THE ORDER WAS ISSUED. IF YOU HAVE BEEN PERSONALLY SERVED WITH A TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER OR EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE ORDER AND NOTICE OF HEARING, BUT YOU DO NOT APPEAR AT THE HEARING EITHER IN PERSON OR BY COUNSEL, AND A RESTRAINING ORDER OR PROTECTIVE ORDER IS ISSUED AT THE HEARING THAT DOES NOT DIFFER FROM THE PRIOR TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER OR EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE ORDER, A COPY OF THE ORDER WILL BE SERVED UPON YOU BY MAIL AT THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS ____. IF THAT ADDRESS IS NOT CORRECT OR YOU WISH TO VERIFY THAT THE TEMPORARY OR EMERGENCY ORDER WAS MADE PERMANENT WITHOUT SUBSTANTIVE CHANGE, CALL THE CLERK OF THE COURT AT ____." (j) (1) The court shall order the petitioner or the attorney for the petitioner to deliver, or the clerk of the court to mail, a copy of an order issued under this section, or a reissuance, extension, modification, or termination of the order, and any subsequent proof of service, by the close of the business day on which the order, reissuance, extension, modification, or termination was made, to each local law enforcement agency designated by the petitioner or the attorney for the petitioner having jurisdiction over the residence of the petitioner, and to any additional law enforcement agencies within the court's discretion as are requested by the petitioner. Each appropriate law enforcement agency shall make available information as to the existence and current status of these orders to law enforcement officers responding to the scene of reported abuse. (2) An order issued under this section shall, on request of the petitioner, be served on the respondent, whether or not the respondent has been taken into custody, by any law enforcement officer who is present at the scene of reported abuse involving the parties to the proceeding. The petitioner shall provide the officer with an endorsed copy of the order and a proof of service which the officer shall complete and send to the issuing court. (3) Upon receiving information at the scene of an incident of abuse that a protective order has been issued under this section, or that a person who has been taken into custody is the respondent to that order, if the protected person cannot produce an endorsed copy of the order, a law enforcement officer shall immediately attempt to verify the existence of the order. (4) If the law enforcement officer determines that a protective order has been issued, but not served, the officer shall immediately notify the respondent of the terms of the order and where a written copy of the order can be obtained and the officer shall at that time also enforce the order. The law enforcement officer's verbal notice of the terms of the order shall constitute service of the order and is sufficient notice for the purposes of this section and for the purposes of Section 273.6 of the Penal Code. (k) Nothing in this section shall preclude either party from representation by private counsel or from appearing on the party's own behalf. (l) There is no filing fee for a petition, response, or paper seeking the reissuance, modification, or enforcement of a protective order filed in a proceeding brought pursuant to this section. (m) (1) Fees otherwise payable by a petitioner to a law enforcement agency for serving an order issued under this section may be waived in any case in which the petitioner has requested a fee waiver on the initiating petition and has filed a declaration that demonstrates, to the satisfaction of the court, the financial need of the petitioner for the fee waiver. The declaration required by this subdivision shall be on one of the following forms: (A) The form formulated and adopted by the Judicial Council for litigants proceeding in forma pauperis pursuant to Section 68511.3 of the Government Code, but the petitioner is not subject to any other requirements of litigants proceeding in forma pauperis. (B) Any other form that the Judicial Council may adopt for this purpose pursuant to subdivision (r). (2) In conjunction with a hearing pursuant to this section, the court may make an order for the waiver of fees otherwise payable by the petitioner to a law enforcement agency for serving an order issued under this section. (n) The prevailing party in any action brought under this section may be awarded court costs and attorney's fees, if any. (o) (1) An order issued pursuant to this section shall prohibit the person subject to it from owning, possessing, purchasing, receiving, or attempting to purchase or receive, a firearm. (2) Paragraph (1) shall not apply to a case consisting solely of financial abuse unaccompanied by force, threat, harassment, intimidation, or any other form of abuse. (3) The court shall order a person subject to a protective order issued under this section to relinquish any firearms he or she owns or possesses pursuant to Section 527.9 of the Code of Civil Procedure. (4) Every person who owns, possesses, purchases, or receives, or attempts to purchase or receive a firearm while the protective order is in effect is punishable pursuant to subdivision (g) of Section 12021 of the Penal Code. (p) Any willful disobedience of any temporary restraining order or restraining order after hearing granted under this section is punishable pursuant to Section 273.6 of the Penal Code. (q) This section does not apply to any action or proceeding covered by Title 1.6C (commencing with Section 1788) of the Civil Code, by Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 525) of the Code of Civil Procedure, or by Division 10 (commencing with Section 6200) of the Family Code. Nothing in this section shall preclude a petitioner's right to use other existing civil remedies. (r) The Judicial Council shall promulgate forms and instructions therefor, rules for service of process, scheduling of hearings, and any other matters required by this section. The petition and response forms shall be simple and concise. SEC. 4. If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.