House Judiciary hearing examines bill to consolidate civil protection orders into single chapter

Representative Bernie Satrim, sponsor of House Bill 1489, told the House Judiciary Committee the measure was submitted at the request of the Supreme Court and “has a very simple purpose, which is to streamline our laws and have this subject in 1 spot rather than multiple places.”

The bill would create a new chapter in the North Dakota Century Code consolidating three existing civil remedies — disorderly conduct restraining orders (DCROs), domestic violence protection orders (DVPOs) and sexual‑assault restraining orders (SAROs) — under a single umbrella term “civil protection order” and move related provisions into chapter 14‑07.7. The sponsor and court staff told the committee that the change is intended to make forms, service, and court procedure more consistent and to avoid confusion about filing and service fees.

Sarah Behrens, a staff attorney with the State Court Administrator’s Office, outlined specific changes in the bill, including a uniform…