Protective Services' Costs . The bill requires state and local agencies providing protective services to share the costs pursuant to the chief state's attorney's witness protection policy. Refusing Protective Services . The bill requires the chief state's attorney to be notified within 24 hours if a parent or guardian refuses protective services for a certified child witness. Upon referral, DCF must investigate the matter to determine the possibility of child neglect and whether it should provide protective services or take any other action to protect the child's welfare.
Hearsay evidence is admissible at the hearing.
The subject of the order has the right to present evidence and cross-examine witnesses at the hearing. The bill specifies that a protective order is a court order and requires the court clerk to have a certified copy of it sent to any witness and, within 48 hours of its issuance, to the appropriate law enforcement agency. Protective Order Contents . The order must state the reason it was issued, describing in specific terms and detail and not by reference to the complaint or other document, the acts being restrained. It may include the same information that currently may be included in protective orders issued to family violence offenders, such as provisions necessary to protect the person from future harm.