Proposal would establish Address Confidentiality Program in Michigan

State Rep. Daire Rendon’s plan – part of a bipartisan, bicameral proposal to strengthen protections for survivors of domestic abuse and sexual assault in Michigan – was approved today by the House with overwhelming support.

Rendon, of Lake City, said the proposal would allow survivors to keep their addresses private in public databases, like the voter registry, to make it more difficult for their aggressors to find them.

“Keeping a survivor’s new address a secret after they have escaped from an abusive situation can – quite literally – be the difference between life and death,” Rendon said. “Establishing an address confidentiality program will help keep vulnerable people safe and offer some peace of mind as they begin to heal and rebuild their lives.”

If enacted, the plan would establish an address confidentiality program giving participants a substitute address – usually a post office box – to use in place of their physical address.

The substitute address can be used wherever an address is required by a local government, school, court or other public agency. Mail sent to the substitute address would then be forwarded to the participant’s actual address by the state.

Rendon’s measure, House Bill 5057, now advances to the Michigan Senate for further consideration.

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