Protective orders: Wyland’s Law.

Assembly Member Stefani's protective order legislation, known as Wyland's Law, establishes new record-keeping requirements for California courts and the Department of Justice (DOJ) to document the transmission and receipt of protective order information. The measure requires superior courts to maintain records verifying their transmission of protective orders to DOJ, including case numbers, issuing court names, respondent names, and relevant dates, while excluding protected parties' personal identifying information.

The bill authorizes DOJ to create or contract for an automated notification system enabling protected persons to access information about their cases through the California Restraining and Protective Order System. This system would allow individuals to verify DOJ's receipt of their protective order, confirm service on the restrained person, and determine whether the restrained person has attempted to purchase firearms or ammunition while the order remains active. Courts must provide access to transmission records within one business day upon request from petitioners, respondents, protected persons, or their representatives.

Under the legislation, records demonstrating transmission and receipt of protective order information become public records open to inspection and copying. These provisions apply retroactively to cases pending before January 1, 2026, where verification of transmission obligations is necessary. The bill maintains existing privacy protections by prohibiting the inclusion of protected parties' personal identifying information in these public records.