Researcher: JC Page 1 4/4/22
OLR Bill Analysis
sSB 123
AN ACT EXPANDING ELIGIBILITY FOR THE ADDRESS
CONFIDENTIALITY PROGRAM.
SUMMARY
By law, the address confidentiality program, administered by the
Secretary of the State (SOTS), allows certain victims to receive a
substitute mailing address in order to keep their residential address
confidential due to safety concerns.
This bill expands the program by allowing the following individuals
to participate:
1. victims of (a) 1st or 2nd degree kidnapping, (b) 1st or 2nd degree
kidnapping with a firearm, (c) human trafficking, or (d) child
abuse substantiated by the Department of Children and Families
(DCF); and
2. children who are the subject of petitions to terminate parental
rights granted by the court.
(Presumably, DCF, a temporary or permanent guardian, or adoptive
parent would initiate the program application on such a child’s behalf,
following a process determined by SOTS under its authority to adopt
regulations for this program.) Current law already allows victims of
family violence; injury or risk of injury to a child; 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th
degree sexual assault; 1st degree aggravated sexual assault; 3rd degree
sexual assault with a firearm; sexual assault in a spousal or cohabiting
relationship, or 1st, 2nd, or 3rd degree stalking to participate in the
program.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2022
2022SB-00123-R000256-BA.DOCX
Researcher: JC Page 2 4/4/22
ADDRESS CONFIDENTIALITY PROGRAM
Under existing law, once an applicant to the address confidentiality
program is certified by SOTS, he or she receives a substitute address.
SOTS, as the participant’s legal agent, receives any mail and service of
process sent to that substitute address and forwards it to the
participant’s confidential address free-of-charge.
Participants may generally have (1) their street address omitted from
voter registries, (2) correspondence from state agencies sent to their
substitute address, and (3) their marriage records kept confidential.
Participants may renew their certification every four years. SOTS may
cancel a participant’s certification under certain circumstances, but such
participants may reapply at any time (CGS § 54-240 et seq. and Conn.
Agencies Regs. § 54-240-1 et seq.).
COMMITTEE ACTION
Committee on Children
Joint Favorable Substitute
Yea 13 Nay 0 (03/15/2022)