HB 504 Summary

• Consolidates and expands domestic violence definitions to include abuse and stalking, applying to adults, children, and household members under a unified definition in section 455.010.

• Authorizes juvenile courts to issue orders of protection against respondents under seventeen years of age, with cases transferred to juvenile court for hearings and appointment of guardians ad litem.

• Allows full orders of protection to automatically renew for one year unless the respondent requests a hearing within thirty days before expiration, streamlining the renewal process.

• Expands violation penalties for protection orders to include violations involving communication, place of employment, school, or proximity restrictions, making first violations a Class A misdemeanor and repeat violations within five years a Class D felony.

• Establishes credentialing standards for court-approved batterer intervention programs through the Department of Corrections and modifies crime victims' compensation fund administration to limit agencies to ten percent for administrative costs.