AN ACT CONCERNING RESTRAINING ORDERS.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:

Section 1. Subsection (a) of section 46b-15 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2013):

(a) Any of the following family or household members or victims may make an application to the Superior Court for relief under this section: (1) Any family or household member, as defined in section 46b-38a, who has been subjected to a continuous threat of present physical pain or physical injury, stalking or a pattern of threatening, including, but not limited to, a pattern of threatening, as described in section 53a-62, by another family or household member; [may make an application to the Superior Court for relief under this section] (2) any victim of stalking pursuant to section 53a-181c, 53a-181d or 53a-181e; or (3) any victim of sexual assault pursuant to section 53a-70, 53a-70a, 53a-71, 53a-72a, 53a-72b or 53a-73a.

Sec. 2. Subparagraph (I) of subdivision (7) of subsection (b) of section 54-203 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2013):

(I) Subject to the provisions of section 46b-15, as amended by this act, (i) the victim of assault by a spouse or former spouse, family or household member has the right to request the arrest of the offender, request a protective order and apply for a restraining order, (ii) the victim of stalking or a pattern of threatening by such spouse, family or household member has the right to apply for a restraining order, and (iii) any other victim of stalking or sexual assault has the right to apply for a restraining order with respect to the offender;

Statement of Purpose:

To permit victims of stalking or sexual assault who are not family or household members of the offender to apply for and obtain a civil restraining order.

[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]