Address confidentiality, granting rule-making authority, and providing a criminal penalty. (FE)

Under the program, DOJ forwards all mail received at the assigned address to the program participant's actual address. In addition, the program participant may use the assigned address for any official purpose, unless the use of the actual address is required by statute, such as for voter registration. Any person or entity that has knowledge of the actual address through the program is required to keep it confidential. Under current law, a program participant's actual address is exempt from the open records law.

This bill expands the confidentiality provisions of the program to include any part of a program participant's actual address. In addition, the bill makes intentional disclosure of confidential information under the program a misdemeanor.

Under the bill, DOJ is authorized to act as the registered agent and office for a single-member LLC if the member is enrolled in the address confidentiality program.

This bill also provides that DOJ may promulgate rules governing a program participant's consent to disclosure of his or her actual address by DOJ or another entity if such a disclosure is required for a public assistance program or a real property transaction.

This bill clarifies that DOJ may disenroll a program participant at any time that DOJ determines that the program participant no longer meets the eligibility criteria.