Interstate violation of protection order
Official text prohibited actmental stateif conditionpenaltylegal term
(a) Offenses.
(1) Travel or conduct of offender. A person who travels in , or enters or leaves Indian country or is present within the , with the intent to engage in conduct that violates the portion of a protection order that prohibits or provides protection against violence, threats, or harassment against, contact or communication with, or physical proximity to, another person or the pet, service animal, emotional support animal, or horse of that person, or that would violate such a portion of a protection order in the jurisdiction in which the order was issued, and subsequently engages in such conduct, shall be punished as provided in subsection (b).
(2) Causing travel of victim. A person who causes another person to travel in or to enter or leave Indian country by force, coercion, duress, or fraud, and in the course of, as a result of, or to facilitate such conduct or travel engages in conduct that violates the portion of a protection order that prohibits or provides protection against violence, threats, or harassment against, contact or communication with, or physical proximity to, another person or the pet, service animal, emotional support animal, or horse of that person, or that would violate such a portion of a protection order in the jurisdiction in which the order was issued, shall be punished as provided in subsection (b).
(b) Penalties. A person who violates this section shall be , imprisoned—
(1) for life or any term of years, if death of the victim results;
(2) for not more than 20 years if permanent disfigurement or life threatening to the victim results;
(3) for not more than 10 years, if to the victim results or if the offender uses a dangerous weapon during the offense;
(4) as provided for the applicable conduct under chapter 109A if the offense would constitute an offense under chapter 109A (without regard to whether the offense was committed in the or in a Federal prison); and
(5) for not more than 5 years, in any other case, including any case in which the offense is committed against a pet, service animal, emotional support animal, or horse,
or both fined and imprisoned.
History: (Added Pub. L. 103–322, title IV, §40221(a), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 1927 (PDF, 52 MB); amended Pub. L. 104–201, div. A, title X, §1069(b)(2), Sept. 23, 1996, 110 Stat. 2656; Pub. L. 104–294, title VI, §605(d), Oct. 11, 1996, 110 Stat. 3509; Pub. L. 106–386, div. B, title I, §1107(c), Oct. 28, 2000, 114 Stat. 1498; Pub. L. 109–162, title I, §117(b), Jan. 5, 2006, 119 Stat. 2989; Pub. L. 113–4, title I, §107(c), Mar. 7, 2013, 127 Stat. 78; Pub. L. 115–334, title XII, §12502(a)(2), Dec. 20, 2018, 132 Stat. 4982.)
Simplified explanation
It is a federal crime to cross state or national lines, enter or leave Indian country, or be on federal land or waters, intending to violate a protection order (a court order keeping someone away from another person), and then violate it. It is also a crime to force or trick a person into traveling and then violate a protection order protecting them.