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Section 46b-15a – Foreign order of protection. Full faith and credit. Enforcement. Affirmative defense. Child custody provision. Registration

May 15, 2021 | Connecticut, Family Law

(a) For the purposes of this section, “foreign order of protection” means any protection order, as defined in 18 USC 2266, as from time to time amended, or similar restraining or protective order issued by a court of another state, the District of Columbia, a commonwealth, territory or possession of the United States or an Indian tribe.
(b) A valid foreign order of protection that is consistent with 18 USC 2265, as from time to time amended, shall be accorded full faith and credit by a court of this state and may be enforced as if it were the order of a court in this state. A foreign order of protection shall be presumed valid if such order appears authentic on its face. The fact that a foreign order of protection has not been entered into the automated registry of protective orders maintained pursuant to section 51-5c, the Connecticut on-line law enforcement communication teleprocessing system maintained by the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection or the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) computerized index of criminal justice information shall not be grounds for refusing to enforce such order in this state.
(c) A law enforcement officer shall enforce a foreign order of protection in accordance with its terms and the law of this state, and shall arrest any person suspected of violating such order and charge such person with a violation of section 53a-223b. Nothing in this subsection shall affect the responsibility of a law enforcement officer to make an arrest pursuant to section 46b-38b.
(d) It shall be an affirmative defense in any action seeking enforcement of a foreign order of protection or any criminal prosecution involving the violation of a foreign order of protection that such order is not consistent with or entitled to full faith and credit pursuant to 18 USC 2265, as from time to time amended.
(e) A child custody provision in a foreign order of protection may be enforced in this state if such provision (1) complies with the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction Act or the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act, and (2) is consistent with the Parental Kidnapping Prevention Act of 1980, 28 USC 1738A, as from time to time amended.
(f) A foreign order of protection may be registered in this state by sending to the Superior Court in this state:

(1) A letter or other document requesting registration;
(2) two copies, including one certified copy, of the foreign order of protection sought to be registered and a statement under penalty of perjury that, to the best of the knowledge and belief of the petitioner, the order has not been modified; and
(3) the name and address of the person seeking registration, except if the disclosure of such name and address would jeopardize the safety of such person.
(g) On receipt of the documents required in subsection (f) of this section, the registering court shall:

(1) Cause the foreign order of protection to be filed as a foreign judgment, together with one copy of any accompanying documents and information, regardless of their form; and
(2) cause the foreign order of protection to be entered in the automated registry of protective orders maintained pursuant to section 51-5c, together with any accompanying information required or permitted to be contained in the registry of protective orders pursuant to the procedures adopted by the Chief Court Administrator under section 51-5c.

Conn. Gen. Stat. ยง 46b-15a

( P.A. 99-186, S. 7; P.A. 00-196, S. 47; P.A. 03-98, S. 1; P.A. 11-51, S. 134.)

See Sec. 51-5c re automated registry of protective orders.