An Act To Provide Protection for Victims of Domestic Violence
Sec. 1. 19-A MRSA §4012, sub-§9 is enacted to read:
For the purposes of this subsection, notification may be made by the Department of Public Safety to the individual intended to be protected by the protection from abuse order through a law enforcement agency within the county in which the individual resides. When the department makes notification through such a law enforcement agency, that agency then must make reasonable effort to notify as quickly as practicable the individual intended to be protected by the protection from abuse order. If, when notifying a law enforcement agency, the department is informed by that agency that it cannot notify the individual intended to be protected by the protection from abuse order, the department must continue to make a reasonable effort to notify that individual as quickly as practicable, including through a different law enforcement agency within the county in which the individual resides.
Sec. 2. 19-A MRSA §4012, sub-§10 is enacted to read:
summary
This bill specifies that, upon receiving information from a federal agency that through a criminal background check an individual subject to a protection from abuse order has illegally attempted to purchase a firearm, the Department of Public Safety shall share that information with the individual who is intended to be protected by the order and with another law enforcement agency with jurisdiction in the municipality in which that individual resides as quickly as practicable.
The bill also specifies that the Department of Public Safety may accomplish the notification process by notifying another law enforcement agency within the county in which the individual intended to be protected by the protection from abuse order resides. When the department makes notification through such a law enforcement agency, that agency then must make reasonable effort to notify as quickly as practicable the individual intended to be protected by the protection from abuse order. If, when notifying another law enforcement agency, the department is informed by that agency that it cannot notify the individual intended to be protected by the protection from abuse order, the department must continue to make its own reasonable effort to notify that individual as quickly as practicable, and this may be accomplished through a different law enforcement agency within the county in which the individual resides.
The bill also clarifies that the immunity provision does not prohibit the State or a political subdivision of the State from pursuing legally authorized disciplinary action.