A domestic violence protection order is a court order designed to protect domestic violence victims from further injury or death by keeping the perpetrator away from the victim.

A protection order is most commonly issued by a county court, and is enforceable by local police.

Under current Wyoming law, domestic violence protection orders are effective for a fixed period of time, not to exceed three months. Upon motion of the petitioner (the victim), orders may be extended repetitively for good cause for additional periods, not to exceed three months each.

SF 122 proposed to change this process so that after the initial three months, an order could be extended for good cause for additional periods of time, not to exceed one year.

Proponents of the change argued that it is difficult for a person attempting to get out of an abusive situation to petition for a protection order every three months.

Opponents argued that the existing system functions adequately, and that extending protection orders for longer periods might unfairly deny the barred party access to his/her property (property rights are not settled until a divorce occurs).

SF 122 failed in Senate Committee of the Whole (the first opportunity for floor debate), 14-16.