The bill amends Section 8-10-21 of the General Laws in Chapter 8-10, titled "Family Court," to clarify that the records of the family court are public records, with the exception of records of hearings in certain matters which remain non-public unless ordered otherwise by the court. It specifically states that records in criminal matters involving adults are public, and it adds that records of delinquent or wayward adjudications of juveniles, or protective orders issued against juveniles, may be accessed by law enforcement for law enforcement purposes only, remaining otherwise confidential. The Attorney General is tasked with promulgating rules and regulations to facilitate the purposes of this section.

Additionally, the bill amends Section 12-29-8.1 of the General Laws in Chapter 12-29, titled "Domestic Violence Prevention Act," to require that all domestic violence and sexual assault protective orders against individuals aged eighteen and over must be filed in the Restraining Order No-Contact Order system (R.O.N.C.O.) at the attorney general’s bureau of criminal identification. The bill specifies the information that must be included in the orders and the timeline for filing, modifying, or terminating them. It also states that expired or terminated protective orders must be expunged from the R.O.N.C.O. system within 30 days, and their prior existence shall not be disclosed except by court order. The bill takes effect upon passage and clarifies that only protective orders issued against adults are to be transmitted to the B.C.I. unit for inclusion in the R.O.N.C.O. system, while those issued against juveniles will be accessible to law enforcement only.

Statutes affected:
8349: 8-10-21, 12-29-8.1