Bill Sponsors
J. Lombardi, Hull, Sanchez, Cruz, and Stewart
Committee
House Judiciary
Summary
Select
This legislation amends the "Domestic Abuse Prevention" laws to include protection for household pets. It defines "household pet" and authorizes the Family Court to include the care, custody, and control of such pets in protective orders. Specifically, the court can award custody of a pet to the plaintiff and order the defendant to refrain from interfering with the animal. Furthermore, the bill mandates that starting July 1, 2025, attorneys and law enforcement officers prosecuting or presenting violations of these orders must self-certify that they have completed specialized training in domestic violence prosecution.
Sponsor
Analysis
Pros for Progressives
- Recognizes the intersection between animal abuse and domestic violence, preventing abusers from using pets as leverage to control or coerce victims, thereby removing a significant barrier for victims seeking to leave abusive situations.
- Mandates specialized training for prosecutors and law enforcement, ensuring that the legal system is better equipped to handle the nuances and sensitivities of domestic violence cases with a trauma-informed approach.
- Expands the definition of family safety to include companion animals, adopting a more holistic and compassionate view of the household unit that aligns with modern social values regarding animal welfare.
Cons for Progressives
- Relies heavily on the criminal justice system and prosecution as the primary solution to domestic violence rather than investing in restorative justice models or community-based prevention programs.
- The "self-certification" aspect of the training requirement may lack sufficient oversight, potentially allowing law enforcement personnel to bypass the spirit of the reform without genuine accountability.
- Does not provide additional funding for the required training or for animal shelters to house pets of fleeing victims, potentially creating an unfunded mandate or logistical gaps in support.
Pros for Conservatives
- Clarifies property rights regarding animals during domestic disputes, allowing the courts to make decisive rulings on custody and possession to maintain order.
- Strengthens the competency of the justice system by ensuring that prosecutors are properly trained, leading to more effective enforcement of existing laws and penalties against offenders.
- Protects vulnerable members of the household from violence without creating new welfare programs or distributing cash assistance.
Cons for Conservatives
- Imposes government mandates on private legal professionals and local police departments regarding what training they must complete, representing an expansion of bureaucratic regulation.
- Expands the scope of "domestic abuse" laws to include animals, which some may view as a slippery slope that elevates animals to the status of humans in the eyes of the court.
- Potentially increases administrative costs and burdens on local law enforcement agencies and the courts to track certifications and manage pet custody hearings.
Constitutional Concerns
None Likely
Impact Overview
Groups Affected
- Domestic abuse victims
- Pet owners
- Attorneys and Prosecutors
- Law Enforcement Officers
- Family Court Judges
Towns Affected
All
Cost to Taxpayers
Amount unknown
Revenue Generated
None
BillBuddy Impact Ratings
Importance
Measures population affected and overall level of impact.
Freedom Impact
Level of individual freedom impacted by the bill.
Public Services
How much the bill is likely to impact one or more public services.
Regulatory
Estimated regulatory burden imposed on the subject(s) of the bill.
Clarity of Bill Language
How clear the language of the bill is. Higher ambiguity equals a lower score.
Enforcement Provisions
Measures enforcement provisions and penalties for non-compliance (if applicable).
Environmental Impact
Impact the bill will have on the environment, positive or negative.
Privacy Impact
Impact the bill is likely to have on the privacy of individuals.
Bill Status
Current Status
Held
Comm Passed
Floor Passed
Law
History
• 01/15/2026 Introduced, referred to House Judiciary
Bill Text
SECTION 1. Sections 15-15-1 and 15-15-3 of the General Laws in Chapter 15-15 entitled "Domestic Abuse Prevention" are hereby amended to read as follows:
15-15-1. Definitions.
The following words as used in this chapter have the following meanings:
(1) “Course of conduct” means a pattern of conduct composed of a series of acts over a period of time, evidencing a continuity of purpose. Constitutionally protected activity is not included within the meaning of “course of conduct.”
(2) “Courts” means the family court.
(3) “Cyberstalking” means transmitting any communication by computer to any person or causing any person to be contacted for the sole purpose of harassing that person or his or her family.
(4) “Domestic abuse” means:
The occurrence of one or more of the following acts between present or former family members, parents, stepparents, a plaintiff parent’s minor child(ren) to which the defendant is not a blood relative or relative by marriage, adult plaintiffs who are or have been in a substantive dating or engagement relationship within the past one year and who are (either individually or together) parents of minor children, or persons who are or have been in a substantive dating or engagement relationship within the past one year in which at least one of the persons is a minor:
(i) Attempting to cause or causing physical harm;
(ii) Placing another in fear of imminent serious physical harm;
(iii) Causing another to engage involuntarily in sexual relations by force, threat of force, or duress; or
(iv) Stalking or cyberstalking.
(5) “Harassing” means following a knowing and willful course of conduct directed at a specific person with the intent to seriously alarm, annoy, or bother the person, and which serves no legitimate purpose. The course of conduct must be such as would cause a reasonable person to suffer substantial emotional distress, or be in fear of bodily injury.
(6) "Household pet" means a domesticated or tamed animal kept for companionship or pleasure.
(6)(7) “Parents” mean persons who together are the legal parents of one or more children, regardless of their marital status or whether they have lived together at any time.
(7)(8) “Present or former family member” means the spouse, former spouse, minor children, stepchildren, a plaintiff parent’s minor child(ren) to which the defendant is not a blood relative or relative by marriage, minor children of substantive dating partners, or persons who are related by blood or marriage.
(8)(9) “Sexual exploitation” means the occurrence of any of the following acts by any person who knowingly or willfully encourages, aids, or coerces any child under the age of eighteen (18) years:
(i) Recruiting, employing, enticing, soliciting, isolating, harboring, transporting, providing, persuading, obtaining, or maintaining, or so attempting, any minor for the purposes of commercial sex acts or sexually explicit performances; or selling or purchasing a minor for the purposes of commercial sex acts.
(A) “Commercial sex act” means any sex act or sexually explicit performance on account of which anything of value is given, promised to, or received, directly or indirectly, by any person.
(B) “Sexually explicit performance” means an act or show, intended to arouse, satisfy the sexual desires of, or appeal to the prurient interests of patrons or viewers, whether public or private, live, photographed, recorded, or videotaped.
(9)(10) “Stalking” means harassing another person or willfully, maliciously, and repeatedly following another person with the intent to place that person in reasonable fear of bodily injury.
(10)(11) “Substantive dating” or “engagement relationship” means a significant and personal/intimate relationship that shall be adjudged by the court’s consideration of the following factors:
(i) The length of time of the relationship;
(ii) The type of relationship; and LC003773 - Page 2 of 8
(iii) The frequency of interaction between the parties.
15-15-3. Protective orders — Penalty — Jurisdiction.
(a) A person, or a parent, custodian, or legal guardian on behalf of a minor child or the director of the department of children, youth and families (“DCYF”) or its designee for a child in the custody of DCYF, pursuant to §§ 40-11-7 and 40-11-7.1, suffering from domestic abuse or sexual exploitation as defined in § 15-15-1, may file a complaint in the family court requesting any order that will protect and support her or him from abuse or sexual exploitation, including, but not limited to, the following:
(1) Ordering that the defendant be restrained and enjoined from contacting, assaulting, molesting, sexually exploiting, or interfering with the plaintiff at home, on the street, or elsewhere, whether the defendant is an adult or a minor;
(2) Ordering the defendant to vacate the household immediately, and further providing in the order for the safety and welfare of all household animals and pets;
(3) Awarding the plaintiff custody of the minor children of the parties, if any;
(4) Awarding the plaintiff custody of the household pet(s), if any, including the enforcement remedy of a restraining order or other injunctive relief if necessary;
(4)(5) Ordering the defendant to surrender physical possession of all firearms in his or her possession, care, custody, or control and shall further order a person restrained not to purchase or receive, or attempt to purchase or receive, any firearms while the protective order is in effect. The defendant shall surrender said firearms within twenty-four (24) hours of notice of the protective order to the Rhode Island state police or local police department or to a federally licensed firearms dealer.
(i) A person ordered to surrender possession of any firearm(s) pursuant to this section shall, within seventy-two (72) hours after being served with the order, either:
(A) File with the court a receipt showing the firearm(s) was physically surrendered to the Rhode Island state police or local police department, or to a federally licensed firearms dealer; or
(B) Attest to the court that, at the time of the order, the person had no firearms in his or her immediate physical possession or control, or subject to their immediate physical possession or control, and that the person, at the time of the attestation, has no firearms in their immediate physical possession or control, or subject to their immediate physical possession or control.
(ii) If a person restrained under this section transfers a firearm(s) to a federally licensed firearms dealer pursuant to this section, the person restrained under this section may instruct the federally licensed firearms dealer to sell the firearm(s) or to transfer ownership, in accordance with state and federal law, to a qualified named individual who is not a member of the person’s dwelling LC003773 - Page 3 of 8 house, who is not related to the person by blood, marriage, or relationship as defined by§ 15-15- 1(7) § 15-15-1, and who is not prohibited from possessing firearms under state or federal law. The owner of any firearm(s) sold shall receive any financial value received from its sale, less the cost associated with taking possession of, storing, and transferring of the firearm(s).
(iii) Every individual to whom ownership of a firearm(s) is transferred pursuant to this subsection shall be prohibited from transferring or returning any firearm(s) to the person restrained under this section while the protective order remains in effect and shall be informed of this prohibition, Any knowing violation of this subsection is a felony that shall be punishable by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by imprisonment for a term of not less than one year and not more than five (5) years, or both.
(iv) An individual to whom ownership of a firearm(s) is transferred pursuant to this subsection shall return a firearm(s) to the person formerly restrained under this section only if the person formerly restrained under this section provides documentation issued by a court indicating that the restraining order issued pursuant to this section that prohibited the person from purchasing, carrying, transporting, or possessing firearms has expired and has not been extended;
(5) After notice to the respondent and a hearing, ordering either party to make payments for the support of a minor child or children of the parties as required by law for a period not to exceed ninety (90) days, unless the child support order is for a child or children receiving public assistance pursuant to chapter 5.1 of title 40 [repealed]. In these cases, legal counsel for the division of taxation, child support enforcement, shall be notified as a party in interest to appear for the purpose of establishing a child support order under a new or existing docket number previously assigned to the parties and not under the protective docket number. The child support order shall remain in effect until the court modifies or suspends the order.
(b) After notice to the respondent and a hearing, which shall be held within fifteen (15) days of surrendering said firearms, the court, in addition to any other restrictions, may, for any protective order issued after or renewed on or after July 1, 2017, continue the order of surrender, and shall further order a person restrained under this section not to purchase or receive, or attempt to purchase or receive, any firearms while the protective order is in effect.
(c) The family court shall provide a notice on all forms requesting a protective order that a person restrained under this section shall be ordered pursuant to § 11-47-5 to surrender possession of any firearms while the protective order is in effect. The form shall further provide that any person who has surrendered his or her firearms shall be afforded a hearing within fifteen (15) days of surrendering his or her firearms.
(d) Any firearm surrendered in accordance with this section to the Rhode Island state police LC003773 - Page 4 of 8 or local police department shall be returned to the person formerly restrained under this section upon the person’s request when:
(1) The person formerly restrained under this section produces documentation issued by a court indicating that the restraining order issued pursuant to this section that prohibited the person from purchasing, carrying, transporting, or possessing firearms has expired and has not been extended; and
(2) The law enforcement agency in possession of the firearms determined that the person formerly restrained under this section is not otherwise prohibited from possessing a firearm under state or federal law.
(3) The person required to surrender their firearms pursuant to this section shall not be responsible for any costs of storage of any firearms surrendered pursuant to this section.
(e) The Rhode Island state police are authorized to develop rules and procedures pertaining to the storage and return of firearms surrendered to the Rhode Island state police or local police departments pursuant to this section. The Rhode Island state police may consult with the Rhode Island Police Chiefs’ Association in developing rules and procedures.
(f) Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit, expand, or in any way modify orders issued under § 12-29-7 or § 15-5-19.
(g) Nothing in this section shall limit a defendant’s right under existing law to petition the court at a later date for modification of the order.
(h) The court shall immediately notify the person suffering from domestic abuse whose complaint gave rise to the protective order, and the law enforcement agency where the person restrained under this section resides, of the hearing.
(i) The person suffering from domestic abuse, local law enforcement, and the person restrained under this section shall all have an opportunity to be present and to testify when the court considers the petition.
(j) At the hearing, the person restrained under this section shall have the burden of showing, by clear and convincing evidence, that, if his or her firearm rights were restored, he or she would not pose a danger to the person suffering from domestic abuse or to any other person.
(1) In determining whether to restore a person’s firearm rights, the court shall examine all relevant evidence, including, but not limited to: the complaint seeking a protective order; the criminal record of the person restrained under this section; the mental health history of the person restrained under this section; any evidence that the person restrained under this section has, since being served with the order, engaged in violent or threatening behavior against the person suffering from domestic abuse or any other person. LC003773 - Page 5 of 8
(2) If the court determines, after a review of all relevant evidence and after all parties have had an opportunity to be heard, that the person restrained under this section would not pose a danger to the person suffering from domestic abuse or to any other person if their firearm rights were restored, then the court may grant the petition and modify the protective order and lift the firearm prohibition.
(3) If the court lifts a person’s firearms prohibition pursuant to this subsection, the court shall issue the person written notice that the person is no longer prohibited under this section from purchasing or possessing firearms while the protective order is in effect.
(k) The prohibition against possessing a firearm(s) due solely to the existence of a domestic violence restraining order issued under this section shall not apply with respect to sworn peace officers as defined in § 12-7-21 and active members of military service, including members of the reserve components thereof, who are required by law or departmental policy to carry departmental firearms while on duty or any person who is required by their employment to carry a firearm in the performance of their duties. Any individual exempted pursuant to this exception may possess a firearm only during the course of their employment. Any firearm required for employment must be stored at the place of employment when not being possessed for employment use; all other firearm(s) must be surrendered in accordance with this section.
(l) Upon motion by the plaintiff, the plaintiff’s address shall be released only at the discretion of the family court judge.
(m)(1) Any violation of the protective orders in subsection (a) of this section shall subject the defendant to being found in contempt of court.
(2) The contempt order shall not be exclusive and shall not preclude any other available civil or criminal remedies. Any relief granted by the court shall be for a fixed period of time not to exceed three (3) years, at the expiration of which time the court may extend any order, upon motion of the plaintiff, for any additional time, that it deems necessary to protect the plaintiff from abuse. The court may modify its order at any time upon motion of either party.
(n)(1) Any violation of a protective order under this chapter of which the defendant has actual notice shall be a misdemeanor that shall be punished by a fine of no more than one thousand dollars ($1,000) or by imprisonment for not more than one year, or both. Beginning July 1, 2025, said violation shall be prosecuted by an attorney appointed by the prosecuting authority who shall self-certify that they have successfully completed a specialized domestic violence prosecution training course and updated training every four (4) years thereafter, aligned with national best practices and eligible for continuing legal education credit(s) as approved by the Rhode Island Bar Association. LC003773 - Page 6 of 8
(2) The penalties for violation of this section shall also include the penalties as provided by § 12-29-5.
(o) Beginning July 1, 2025, said violation shall, at the initial appearance, be presented by a member of a law enforcement agency and/or prosecuted by an attorney appointed by the prosecuting authority all of whom shall self-certify that they have successfully completed a specialized domestic violence prosecution training course and updated training every four (4) years thereafter, aligned with national best practices and eligible for continuing legal education credit(s) as approved by the Rhode Island Bar Association.
(p) Actual notice means that the defendant has received a copy of the order by service or by being handed a copy of the order by a police officer pursuant to § 15-15-5(d).
(q)(1) The district court shall have criminal jurisdiction over all adult violations of this chapter.
(2) The family court shall have jurisdiction over all juvenile violations of this chapter.
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.
15-15-1. Definitions.
The following words as used in this chapter have the following meanings:
(1) “Course of conduct” means a pattern of conduct composed of a series of acts over a period of time, evidencing a continuity of purpose. Constitutionally protected activity is not included within the meaning of “course of conduct.”
(2) “Courts” means the family court.
(3) “Cyberstalking” means transmitting any communication by computer to any person or causing any person to be contacted for the sole purpose of harassing that person or his or her family.
(4) “Domestic abuse” means:
The occurrence of one or more of the following acts between present or former family members, parents, stepparents, a plaintiff parent’s minor child(ren) to which the defendant is not a blood relative or relative by marriage, adult plaintiffs who are or have been in a substantive dating or engagement relationship within the past one year and who are (either individually or together) parents of minor children, or persons who are or have been in a substantive dating or engagement relationship within the past one year in which at least one of the persons is a minor:
(i) Attempting to cause or causing physical harm;
(ii) Placing another in fear of imminent serious physical harm;
(iii) Causing another to engage involuntarily in sexual relations by force, threat of force, or duress; or
(iv) Stalking or cyberstalking.
(5) “Harassing” means following a knowing and willful course of conduct directed at a specific person with the intent to seriously alarm, annoy, or bother the person, and which serves no legitimate purpose. The course of conduct must be such as would cause a reasonable person to suffer substantial emotional distress, or be in fear of bodily injury.
(6) "Household pet" means a domesticated or tamed animal kept for companionship or pleasure.
(i) Recruiting, employing, enticing, soliciting, isolating, harboring, transporting, providing, persuading, obtaining, or maintaining, or so attempting, any minor for the purposes of commercial sex acts or sexually explicit performances; or selling or purchasing a minor for the purposes of commercial sex acts.
(A) “Commercial sex act” means any sex act or sexually explicit performance on account of which anything of value is given, promised to, or received, directly or indirectly, by any person.
(B) “Sexually explicit performance” means an act or show, intended to arouse, satisfy the sexual desires of, or appeal to the prurient interests of patrons or viewers, whether public or private, live, photographed, recorded, or videotaped.
(i) The length of time of the relationship;
(ii) The type of relationship; and LC003773 - Page 2 of 8
(iii) The frequency of interaction between the parties.
15-15-3. Protective orders — Penalty — Jurisdiction.
(a) A person, or a parent, custodian, or legal guardian on behalf of a minor child or the director of the department of children, youth and families (“DCYF”) or its designee for a child in the custody of DCYF, pursuant to §§ 40-11-7 and 40-11-7.1, suffering from domestic abuse or sexual exploitation as defined in § 15-15-1, may file a complaint in the family court requesting any order that will protect and support her or him from abuse or sexual exploitation, including, but not limited to, the following:
(1) Ordering that the defendant be restrained and enjoined from contacting, assaulting, molesting, sexually exploiting, or interfering with the plaintiff at home, on the street, or elsewhere, whether the defendant is an adult or a minor;
(2) Ordering the defendant to vacate the household immediately, and further providing in the order for the safety and welfare of all household animals and pets;
(3) Awarding the plaintiff custody of the minor children of the parties, if any;
(4) Awarding the plaintiff custody of the household pet(s), if any, including the enforcement remedy of a restraining order or other injunctive relief if necessary;
(i) A person ordered to surrender possession of any firearm(s) pursuant to this section shall, within seventy-two (72) hours after being served with the order, either:
(A) File with the court a receipt showing the firearm(s) was physically surrendered to the Rhode Island state police or local police department, or to a federally licensed firearms dealer; or
(B) Attest to the court that, at the time of the order, the person had no firearms in his or her immediate physical possession or control, or subject to their immediate physical possession or control, and that the person, at the time of the attestation, has no firearms in their immediate physical possession or control, or subject to their immediate physical possession or control.
(ii) If a person restrained under this section transfers a firearm(s) to a federally licensed firearms dealer pursuant to this section, the person restrained under this section may instruct the federally licensed firearms dealer to sell the firearm(s) or to transfer ownership, in accordance with state and federal law, to a qualified named individual who is not a member of the person’s dwelling LC003773 - Page 3 of 8 house, who is not related to the person by blood, marriage, or relationship as defined by
(iii) Every individual to whom ownership of a firearm(s) is transferred pursuant to this subsection shall be prohibited from transferring or returning any firearm(s) to the person restrained under this section while the protective order remains in effect and shall be informed of this prohibition, Any knowing violation of this subsection is a felony that shall be punishable by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by imprisonment for a term of not less than one year and not more than five (5) years, or both.
(iv) An individual to whom ownership of a firearm(s) is transferred pursuant to this subsection shall return a firearm(s) to the person formerly restrained under this section only if the person formerly restrained under this section provides documentation issued by a court indicating that the restraining order issued pursuant to this section that prohibited the person from purchasing, carrying, transporting, or possessing firearms has expired and has not been extended;
(5) After notice to the respondent and a hearing, ordering either party to make payments for the support of a minor child or children of the parties as required by law for a period not to exceed ninety (90) days, unless the child support order is for a child or children receiving public assistance pursuant to chapter 5.1 of title 40 [repealed]. In these cases, legal counsel for the division of taxation, child support enforcement, shall be notified as a party in interest to appear for the purpose of establishing a child support order under a new or existing docket number previously assigned to the parties and not under the protective docket number. The child support order shall remain in effect until the court modifies or suspends the order.
(b) After notice to the respondent and a hearing, which shall be held within fifteen (15) days of surrendering said firearms, the court, in addition to any other restrictions, may, for any protective order issued after or renewed on or after July 1, 2017, continue the order of surrender, and shall further order a person restrained under this section not to purchase or receive, or attempt to purchase or receive, any firearms while the protective order is in effect.
(c) The family court shall provide a notice on all forms requesting a protective order that a person restrained under this section shall be ordered pursuant to § 11-47-5 to surrender possession of any firearms while the protective order is in effect. The form shall further provide that any person who has surrendered his or her firearms shall be afforded a hearing within fifteen (15) days of surrendering his or her firearms.
(d) Any firearm surrendered in accordance with this section to the Rhode Island state police LC003773 - Page 4 of 8 or local police department shall be returned to the person formerly restrained under this section upon the person’s request when:
(1) The person formerly restrained under this section produces documentation issued by a court indicating that the restraining order issued pursuant to this section that prohibited the person from purchasing, carrying, transporting, or possessing firearms has expired and has not been extended; and
(2) The law enforcement agency in possession of the firearms determined that the person formerly restrained under this section is not otherwise prohibited from possessing a firearm under state or federal law.
(3) The person required to surrender their firearms pursuant to this section shall not be responsible for any costs of storage of any firearms surrendered pursuant to this section.
(e) The Rhode Island state police are authorized to develop rules and procedures pertaining to the storage and return of firearms surrendered to the Rhode Island state police or local police departments pursuant to this section. The Rhode Island state police may consult with the Rhode Island Police Chiefs’ Association in developing rules and procedures.
(f) Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit, expand, or in any way modify orders issued under § 12-29-7 or § 15-5-19.
(g) Nothing in this section shall limit a defendant’s right under existing law to petition the court at a later date for modification of the order.
(h) The court shall immediately notify the person suffering from domestic abuse whose complaint gave rise to the protective order, and the law enforcement agency where the person restrained under this section resides, of the hearing.
(i) The person suffering from domestic abuse, local law enforcement, and the person restrained under this section shall all have an opportunity to be present and to testify when the court considers the petition.
(j) At the hearing, the person restrained under this section shall have the burden of showing, by clear and convincing evidence, that, if his or her firearm rights were restored, he or she would not pose a danger to the person suffering from domestic abuse or to any other person.
(1) In determining whether to restore a person’s firearm rights, the court shall examine all relevant evidence, including, but not limited to: the complaint seeking a protective order; the criminal record of the person restrained under this section; the mental health history of the person restrained under this section; any evidence that the person restrained under this section has, since being served with the order, engaged in violent or threatening behavior against the person suffering from domestic abuse or any other person. LC003773 - Page 5 of 8
(2) If the court determines, after a review of all relevant evidence and after all parties have had an opportunity to be heard, that the person restrained under this section would not pose a danger to the person suffering from domestic abuse or to any other person if their firearm rights were restored, then the court may grant the petition and modify the protective order and lift the firearm prohibition.
(3) If the court lifts a person’s firearms prohibition pursuant to this subsection, the court shall issue the person written notice that the person is no longer prohibited under this section from purchasing or possessing firearms while the protective order is in effect.
(k) The prohibition against possessing a firearm(s) due solely to the existence of a domestic violence restraining order issued under this section shall not apply with respect to sworn peace officers as defined in § 12-7-21 and active members of military service, including members of the reserve components thereof, who are required by law or departmental policy to carry departmental firearms while on duty or any person who is required by their employment to carry a firearm in the performance of their duties. Any individual exempted pursuant to this exception may possess a firearm only during the course of their employment. Any firearm required for employment must be stored at the place of employment when not being possessed for employment use; all other firearm(s) must be surrendered in accordance with this section.
(l) Upon motion by the plaintiff, the plaintiff’s address shall be released only at the discretion of the family court judge.
(m)(1) Any violation of the protective orders in subsection (a) of this section shall subject the defendant to being found in contempt of court.
(2) The contempt order shall not be exclusive and shall not preclude any other available civil or criminal remedies. Any relief granted by the court shall be for a fixed period of time not to exceed three (3) years, at the expiration of which time the court may extend any order, upon motion of the plaintiff, for any additional time, that it deems necessary to protect the plaintiff from abuse. The court may modify its order at any time upon motion of either party.
(n)(1) Any violation of a protective order under this chapter of which the defendant has actual notice shall be a misdemeanor that shall be punished by a fine of no more than one thousand dollars ($1,000) or by imprisonment for not more than one year, or both. Beginning July 1, 2025, said violation shall be prosecuted by an attorney appointed by the prosecuting authority who shall self-certify that they have successfully completed a specialized domestic violence prosecution training course and updated training every four (4) years thereafter, aligned with national best practices and eligible for continuing legal education credit(s) as approved by the Rhode Island Bar Association. LC003773 - Page 6 of 8
(2) The penalties for violation of this section shall also include the penalties as provided by § 12-29-5.
(o) Beginning July 1, 2025, said violation shall, at the initial appearance, be presented by a member of a law enforcement agency and/or prosecuted by an attorney appointed by the prosecuting authority all of whom shall self-certify that they have successfully completed a specialized domestic violence prosecution training course and updated training every four (4) years thereafter, aligned with national best practices and eligible for continuing legal education credit(s) as approved by the Rhode Island Bar Association.
(p) Actual notice means that the defendant has received a copy of the order by service or by being handed a copy of the order by a police officer pursuant to § 15-15-5(d).
(q)(1) The district court shall have criminal jurisdiction over all adult violations of this chapter.
(2) The family court shall have jurisdiction over all juvenile violations of this chapter.
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.