Connecticut Statutes
§ 46b-38c — Family violence response and intervention units. Local units. Duties and functions. Electronic monitoring program. Pretrial family violence education program; fees. Training program.
Connecticut § 46b-38c
This text of Connecticut § 46b-38c (Family violence response and intervention units. Local units. Duties and functions. Electronic monitoring program. Pretrial family violence education program; fees. Training program.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Connecticut primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.
Bluebook
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46b-38c (2026).
Text
(a)There shall be family violence response and intervention units in the Connecticut judicial system to respond to cases involving family violence. The units shall be coordinated and governed by formal agreement between the Chief State's Attorney and the Judicial Department.
(b)The Court Support Services Division, in accordance with the agreement between the Chief State's Attorney and the Judicial Department, shall establish within each geographical area of the Superior Court a local family violence intervention unit to implement sections 46b-1 , 46b-15 , 46b-38a to 46b-38f , inclusive, and 54-1g . The Court Support Services Division shall oversee direct operations of the local units.
(c)Each such local family violence intervention unit shall:
(1)Accept referrals of family violence cas
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Related
Szekeres v. Schaeffer
304 F. Supp. 2d 296 (D. Connecticut, 2004)
United States v. Henry
556 F. Supp. 2d 133 (D. Connecticut, 2008)
Correa v. Correa, No. Fa00 037 40 11 S (Oct. 31, 2001)
2001 Conn. Super. Ct. 14122 (Connecticut Superior Court, 2001)
Legislative History
(P.A. 86-337, S. 3; P.A. 87-567, S. 3, 7; P.A. 89-219, S. 1, 10; P.A. 91-6, S. 2, 3; 91-24, S. 3; 91-381, S. 4; P.A. 93-280, S. 2; 93-343; P.A. 96-180, S. 125, 166; 96-246, S. 33, 34; P.A. 97-126, S. 2; P.A. 01-130, S. 13; P.A. 02-132, S. 13, 14, 55; P.A. 03-202, S. 5; P.A. 05-288, S. 157; P.A. 06-196, S. 170; P.A. 07-78, S. 2; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-7, S. 65; P.A. 10-43, S. 13; 10-144, S. 3; P.A. 11-152, S. 4; P.A. 12-114, S. 3, 6, 24; 12-133, S. 42; June 12 Sp. Sess. P.A. 12-1, S. 131; June 12 Sp. Sess. P.A. 12-2, S. 98; P.A. 13-3, S. 38; 13-214, S. 3, 12; P.A. 14-217, S. 125; 14-234, S. 10; P.A 15-211, S. 21; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 15-5, S. 441; P.A. 16-71, S. 13; P.A. 17-163, S. 3; 17-237, S. 114; P.A. 18-5, S. 4; P.A. 21-78, S. 6; 21-102, S. 16; P.A. 23-106, S. 1; P.A. 24-129, S. 1.) History: P.A. 87-567 amended Subsec. (c) by adding “to be presented at any time during the court session on that date” and provision re confidentiality of information provided to family relations officer; amended Subsec. (d) by adding “to be presented at any time during the court session on that date”; and amended Subsec. (g) by changing $200 fee to $50 fee; P.A. 89-219 amended Subsec. (g) by increasing the fee to $100; P.A. 91-6 deleted Subsec. (c)(5) re provision of monitoring systems for all restraining and protective orders; P.A. 91-24 amended Subsec. (f) to authorize the court to require the defendant to answer questions under oath “before any person designated by the clerk and duly authorized to administer oaths”; P.A. 91-381 amended Subsec. (d) by adding “pursuant to subsection (e)” after “protective order” and inserted new Subsec. (e) re provisions of protective order, including specific language required to be contained in such order and requiring that order be made a condition of bail or release of defendant, relettering remaining Subsecs. as necessary; P.A. 93-280 amended Subsec. (h) by increasing the fee for person entering family violence education program from $100 to $200; P.A. 93-343 amended Subsec. (e) by adding provision re establishment of twenty-four-hour registry of protective orders on the Connecticut on-line law enforcement communications teleprocessing system; P.A. 96-180 made technical change in Subsec. (e) by changing fine from $1,000 to $2,000 in accordance with P.A. 92-256, effective June 3, 1996; P.A. 96-246 amended Subsecs. (b) and (i) by deleting references to Sec. 17a-101(e) and Sec. 17a-107; P.A. 97-126 amended Subsec. (e) by adding required language in protective order re jurisdiction, notice and hearing, and validity and enforceability of order; P.A. 01-130 amended Subsec. (c) to add exception to the requirement that information provided to the family relations officer remain confidential by providing that if the victim has indicated that the defendant holds a permit to carry a pistol or revolver or possesses one or more firearms the family relations officer shall disclose such information to the court and the prosecuting authority and amended Subsec. (d) to make a technical change, to reposition language re nature and distribution of a protective order and to replace the requirement that the clerk send a certified copy of the order to the “appropriate law enforcement agency” with requirement that the clerk send a copy of the order to the law enforcement agency for the town in which the victim resides, to the law enforcement agency for the town in which the respondent resides if different than the town in which the victim resides and, if requested by the victim, to the law enforcement agency for the town in which the victim is employed if different than the town in which the victim resides; P.A. 02-132 amended Subsec. (b) by replacing “Family Relations Division of the Superior Court” and “Family Relations Division” with “Court Support Services Division”, effective October 1, 2002, amended Subsec. (c) by adding provisions re preparation of protective order forms and disclosure of information for appropriate action and making technical changes, amended Subsec. (d) by replacing provisions re sending certified copy of order to law enforcement agency with provisions re sending copy of or information contained in order to law enforcement agency by facsimile or other means and making technical changes and amended Subsec. (e) by deleting provisions re Department of Public Safety registry of protective orders, adding provisions re entry of information into registry of protective orders pursuant to Sec. 51-5c and making technical changes, effective January 1, 2003, and amended Subsec. (i) by replacing “Family Division personnel” with “Court Support Services Division personnel”, deleting reference to bail commissioners and making a technical change, effective October 1, 2002; P.A. 03-202 amended Subsec. (e) by revising language required to be contained in protective order to specify five-year term of imprisonment and $5,000 fine for criminal violation of a protective order and make a conforming change; P.A. 05-288 made technical changes in Subsec. (e), effective July 13, 2005; P.A. 06-196 made technical changes in Subsec. (d), effective June 7, 2006; P.A. 07-78 amended Subsec. (e) by adding provision authorizing protective order to include provisions necessary to protect any animal owned or kept by the victim; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-7 amended Subsec. (g) to provide that program shall inform participants of basic elements of family violence law and applicable penalties and to make technical changes, effective July 1, 2010; P.A. 10-43 amended Subsec. (c) to replace “family relations officer” with “family relations counselor, family relations counselor trainee or family services supervisor employed by the Judicial Department”, designate existing provision re disclosure of information re firearms permit or possession as Subpara. (A) and amend same to replace “family relations officer” with “family relations counselor, family relations counselor trainee or family services supervisor” and add provision, codified by the Revisors as Subpara. (G), re disclosure of information re suspected child abuse or neglect; P.A. 10-144 amended Subsec. (c) to replace “family relations officer” with “family relations counselor, family relations counselor trainee or family services supervisor employed by the Judicial Branch”, designate existing provision re disclosure of information re firearms permit or possession as Subpara. (A) and add Subparas. (B) to (F) re permitted disclosures, amended Subsec. (d)(A) to delete “certified” re copy of order, amended Subsec. (e) to replace requirement re specific language in order re jurisdiction, notice, hearing and validity and enforceability of order with requirement that order indicate that it is accorded full faith and credit pursuant to 18 USC 2265, inserted new Subsec. (f) re electronic monitoring pilot program, redesignated existing Subsecs. (f) to (i) as Subsecs. (g) to (j), and made technical changes; P.A. 11-152 substituted “Judicial Department” for “Judicial Branch”, amended Subsec. (c) to substitute “Shall disclose” for “May disclose” and add “custodial” re parent in Subpara. (B), delete clause (i) and (ii) designators in Subpara. (F) and reposition existing clause (ii) provisions re disclosure to organizations under contract with Judicial Branch to new Subpara. (H) with added proviso that no information personally identify the victim, insert new Subpara. (G) re disclosure to probation officer for purpose of preparing presentence investigation report, redesignate existing Subpara. (G) as Subpara. (I) and make a technical change, amended Subsec. (e) to substitute “notification” for “language” and replace provision re language to be included in order with requirement that order be accompanied by notification consistent with full faith and credit provisions in 18 USC 2265(a), amended Subsec. (g) to add provisions re trauma-informed care, amended Subsec. (h) to insert new Subdiv. designators and make conforming changes, and amended Subsec. (i) to require nonrefundable application fee of $100, increase program entry fee from $200 to $300 and make a technical change; P.A. 12-114 amended Subsec. (g) to redefine “trauma-informed care”, effective July 1, 2012, and amended Subsec. (d) to add provisions re report to judge to indicate whether the parties are parties to a case on the family relations docket and re clerk of court to send copy of order to school at which victim is enrolled, and make technical changes, and amended Subsec. (h)(1)(D) to disqualify offender from the pretrial family violence education program if offense involved infliction of serious physical injury, effective October 1, 2012; P.A. 12-133 amended Subsec. (c) by adding reference to intake, assessment and referral specialist in Subpara. (D); June 12 Sp. Sess. P.A. 12-1 amended Subsec. (f) to allow Judicial Department to resume operation of pilot program and operate same in additional judicial districts within available resources, effective July 1, 2012; June 12 Sp. Sess. P.A. 12-2 amended Subsec. (d) to substitute “technical high school” for “regional vocational technical school”; P.A. 13-3 amended Subsec. (c)(5)(A) to require disclosure to court and prosecuting authority if victim has indicated the defendant possesses ammunition; P.A. 13-214 amended Subsec. (d) to substitute “persons who commit acts of family violence” for “batterers” and amended Subsec. (j) to extend ongoing training program to guardians ad litem; P.A. 14-217 amended Subsec. (e) to replace reference to 5 years and $5,000 with reference to 10 years and $10,000 re required language in order re penalty for criminal violation of a protective order, effective January 1, 2015; P.A. 14-234 amended Subsec. (j) to add provision allowing Judicial Branch to consult with organizations that advocate on behalf of victims of domestic violence to ensure that training includes information on unique characteristics of family violence crimes; P.A. 15-211 amended Subsec. (g) by designating existing provisions as Subdiv. (1) and amending same by redesignating existing Subdiv. (1) re identification of victim service needs as Subpara. (A), deleting provision re making appropriate services available, former Subdiv. (2) re identifying appropriate offender services and definition of “trauma-informed care”, and adding Subparas. (B) and (C) re assessment of offenders and compliance monitoring, by adding new Subdiv. (2) re Judicial Department may contract with victim service providers, and by adding Subdiv. (3) re Judicial Department may contract with service providers to provide domestic violence offender treatment programs, effective January 1, 2016; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 15-5 amended Subsec. (g)(1) by adding Subpara. (D) re monitoring offenders referred to pretrial services or programs, effective January 1, 2016; P.A. 16-71 amended Subsec. (j) by adding provision re training program to include examination of factors that contribute to family being at risk for episodes of domestic violence; P.A. 17-163 amended Subsec. (d) to add provision re victim providing name and address of school or institution of higher education to clerk, effective January 1, 2018; P.A. 17-237 amended Subsec. (d) by replacing “technical high school” with “technical education and career school”, effective July 1, 2017; P.A. 18-5 amended Subsec. (g)(2) by replacing reference to Sec. 46b-38b(d) with reference to Sec. 46b-38b(f), effective January 1, 2019; P.A. 21-78 amended Subsec. (e) by designating existing provisions as Subdiv. (1), redesignating existing Subdivs. (1), (2) and (3) as Subparas. (A), (B) and (C) and adding Subdiv. (2) re notice to person who receives an order of the court; P.A. 21-102 amended Subsec. (i) by redesignating existing Subdiv. (2) re entering of court finding as part of Subdiv. (1) and adding new Subdiv. (2) re finding of indigency based on eligibility for a public defender and prohibition on requiring community service; P.A. 23-106 amended Subsec. (f) by replacing “may establish, within available appropriations, a pilot program in three judicial districts” with “shall establish a program within each judicial district” re electronic monitoring of person determined to be a high-risk offender, deleting provisions re operation of pilot program, deleting provision re cost of electronic monitoring being paid by person subject to such monitoring and adding provision re Judicial Branch to establish the program within each district not later than October 1, 2025, effective July 1, 2023; P.A. 24-129 amended Subsec. (h)(1)(D) by designating existing language re a class A or B felony as clause (i), a class C felony as clause (ii) and adding exception for good cause shown in case of a violation of Sec. 53-21(a)(1) in same, an unclassified felony carrying a term of more than 10 years as clause (iii) and as clause (iv) language re showing of good cause in case of a class D felony designated as subclause (I), an unclassified offense carrying a term of imprisonment of more than 5 years as subclause (II) and an offense that involved infliction of serious physical injury as subclause (III) in same. Cited. 219 C. 752. The trial court may issue a criminal protective order at defendant's arraignment after consideration of oral argument and the family violence intervention unit's report; the trial court is required to hold, at defendant's request at arraignment, a subsequent hearing within a reasonable period of time at which the state will be required to prove the continued necessity of the order by a fair preponderance of the evidence, which may include reliable hearsay testimony, and defendant will have an opportunity to proffer relevant evidence; legislature did not intend for this section and Sec. 54-63c(b) to entitle defendant to an evidentiary hearing beyond consideration of parties' arguments and unit's report prior to the initial issuance of a criminal protective order at arraignment, which may occur within hours of the alleged incident of family violence. 294 C. 1. Cited. 45 CA 722. Writ of error challenging the constitutionality of this statute was improper where Sec. 54-63g provides exclusive remedy of petition for review of an order concerning release. 110 CA 653. Ability to issue a protective order, which is a restriction on defendant's liberty, is not punitive but is meant to protect victims of family violence, and the state has a legitimate and significant interest in doing so; creation of a class of victims and defendants does not affect prosecution of any crime, does not afford victim greater rights with regard to defendant's prosecution, and is a legitimate classification, being neither arbitrary nor irrational, and thus does not violate equal protection rights; defendant's due process rights were not violated by issuance of a protective order without an adversarial hearing; issuance of a protective order is not in the nature of a trial, so defendant was not denied right to an impartial tribunal; summons for disorderly conduct and report from an officer is sufficient information to find beyond a preponderance of the evidence that a protective order should be issued; there is no right against self-incrimination since information was not used in defendant's criminal case, but only to determine whether to issue a protective order. 46 CS 598. Subsec. (e): Nothing in Subsec. prohibits state from bringing charges for other criminal acts in addition to violation of protective order. 151 CA 590. Subsec. (g): Subsec. does not provide for automatic dismissal of criminal charges on completion of program's educational classes because Subsec. provides that defendant “may apply”, and “satisfactory compliance” necessarily requires that the court retain at least some discretion to determine if defendant has met conditions of program. 116 CA 788.
Nearby Sections
15
§ 46b-115a
Definitions.§ 46b-115b
Proceedings governed by other law.§ 46b-115bb
Service of petition and order.§ 46b-115c
Application to Indian tribes.§ 46b-115cc
Hearing and order.§ 46b-115d
International application of chapter.§ 46b-115dd
Order to take physical custody of child.§ 46b-115e
Effect of child custody determination.§ 46b-115ee
Costs, fees and expenses.§ 46b-115f
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Bluebook (online)
Connecticut § 46b-38c, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/statute/ct/46b-38c.