Sec. 6. 19-A MRSA §4007, sub-§1, ķA-2 is enacted to read:

A-2.__Prohibiting the defendant from the use, attempted use or threatened use of physical force that would reasonably be expected to cause bodily injury against the plaintiff or a minor child residing in the household;

Sec. 7. 19-A MRSA §4008, as enacted by PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. B, §2 and affected by Pt. E, §2, is repealed and the following enacted in its place:

§4008. Identifying information sealed

If a party alleges in an affidavit or a pleading under oath that the health, safety or liberty of a party or child would be jeopardized by disclosure of identifying information, the information must be sealed by the clerk and not disclosed to the other party or to the public unless the court orders the disclosure to be made after a hearing in which the court takes into consideration the health, safety or liberty of the party or child and determines that the disclosure is in the interest of justice.

SUMMARY

This bill makes the following changes to the laws governing protection from abuse and protection from harassment.

1. It extends the definition of "harassment" to conduct constituting stalking and violation of privacy. It also expands the definition of "harassment" by adding the term "course of conduct" to accommodate the inclusion of stalking.

2. It makes violations of provisions in permanent protection from harassment orders that direct a defendant to refrain from having contact with a plaintiff punishable criminally by conferring express authority for these provisions.

3. It allows the clerk of court to seal identifying information in protection from abuse and protection from harassment cases.

4. It criminalizes the use, attempted use or threatened use of physical force in violation of a protection from abuse order by conferring express authority for such a provision.