Sec. 1. 19-A MRSA §4012, sub-§9 is enacted to read:

9.__Notification of attempted purchase of firearm.__When the Department of Public Safety receives notification from a federal agency that a background criminal records check conducted pursuant to 18 United States Code, Section 922 indicates that the potential buyer or transferee is prohibited from receipt or possession of a firearm pursuant to a temporary or final protection from abuse order, the department shall make every reasonable effort to promptly notify both the individual intended to be protected by the protection from abuse order and the police department in the municipality in which that individual resides of the information received from the federal agency.

Sec. 2. 19-A MRSA §4012, sub-§10 is enacted to read:

10.__Liability for damages.__The State, a political subdivision of the State or a law enforcement officer is not liable for damage that may be caused by the failure or inability to inform an individual who is the subject of a protection from abuse order in accordance with subsection 9.__Nothing in this subsection may be construed to prevent the State or a political subdivision of the State from pursuing disciplinary action in accordance with the law and rules and regulations adopted thereto.

SUMMARY

This bill requires the Department of Public Safety, upon learning through a criminal background check that an individual subject to a protection from abuse order has illegally attempted to purchase a firearm, to share the information with the individual who is intended to be protected by the order and the local police so that adequate precautions can be taken to minimize the risk of further domestic violence. The bill also specifies that the State, a political subdivision of the State or a law enforcement officer may not be held liable for damage that may be caused by the failure or inability to inform an individual who is the subject of a protection from abuse order in accordance with this bill.