HELENA – Attorney General Steve Bullock says Montana is going to offer victims of domestic violence an easier way to prove they have a permanent restraining order.
Bullock says Montana is the first state in the nation to introduce the Hope Card, a wallet-sized card that can be carried by someone with a restraining order. The cards will contain information about the person restrained, including a photograph, as well as those protected by the order.
Bullock said Thursday the Hope Card can be carried in lieu of the an order of protection and will be recognized by law enforcement during incidents involving the violation of a restraining order.
The idea to offer the Hope Card came from John Oliveira, the National Child Abuse Coordinator and special agent with the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Billings.