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Senate Judiciary committee hears bill to close hearings and online records for protection orders
Summary
Senate Bill 23‑26 would close hearings and remove certain protection-order filings from public online searches to align state practice with the federal Violence Against Women Act; sponsor and advocates urged passage while at least one senator asked to hold the bill so legislative counsel can review suggested language changes.
Senator Josh Bausche, sponsor of Senate Bill 23‑26, told the Senate Judiciary Committee the measure would close hearings and remove public online access to petition filings for assault restraining orders and domestic violence protection orders.
Bausche said the proposal inserts “the same new language in two important sections of century code,” covering both assault restraining orders and domestic violence protection orders, and that the change responds to concerns raised by people working in juvenile justice about victims’ information appearing on the NDcourts public search site.
"The Violence Against Women Act . . . states that, quote, a state, Indian tribe, or territory shall not make available publicly on the Internet any information regarding the registration, filing of a petition for, or issuance of a protection order, restraining order, or injunction . . . if such publication would be likely to publicly reveal the identity or…
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