I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 4705 

To require executive agencies and Federal courts to comply with address 

confidentiality programs, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

OCTOBER 16, 2019 

Ms. MCCOLLUM (for herself, Mrs. HARTZLER, Mr. SMITH of Missouri, Mr. 

PHILLIPS, Ms. NORTON, Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN, Mrs. DINGELL, Ms. 

KUSTER of New Hampshire, Mr. FITZPATRICK, and Ms. GABBARD) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Reform, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, 

for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case 

for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 

committee concerned 

A BILL 

To require executive agencies and Federal courts to comply 

with address confidentiality programs, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Safe at Home Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. EXECUTIVE AGENCY AND FEDERAL COURT COMPLI2 ANCE WITH STATE ADDRESS CONFIDEN3 TIALITY PROGRAMS. 

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—Each executive agency and Fed5 eral court shall accept, for any purpose for which an indi6 vidual is required to provide an address to the agency or 

7 court, an address designated to that individual pursuant 

8 to an address confidentiality program. 

9 (b) EXEMPTION FROM LIABILITY.—A participant 

10 shall not be subject to Federal regulatory, civil, or criminal 

11 penalties for providing a designated address in lieu of the 

12 participant’s actual physical address. 

13 (c) REGULATORY COMPLIANCE WITH ADDRESS CON14 FIDENTIALITY PROGRAMS.—Not later than 1 year after 

15 the date of the enactment of this Act, each executive agen16 cy shall review and, as necessary, modify existing regula17 tions to comply with this Act. 

18 (d) COMPLIANCE WITH ADDRESS CONFIDENTIALITY

19 PROGRAM PROCEDURES AND EXEMPTION FROM FOIA.— 

20 In the case of an executive agency or Federal court seek21 ing to acquire the actual physical address of a participant, 

22 the agency or court shall comply with any applicable pro23 cedures of the address confidentiality program for acquir24 ing such address. Upon acquiring such an address, the ad25 dress shall be considered confidential, and shall not be 

26 subject to any request pursuant to section 552 of title 5, 


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1 United States Code (commonly referred to as the ‘‘Free2 dom of Information Act’’), except that in extreme cir3 cumstances a court may order the disclosure of that ad4 dress pursuant to such request subject to a protective 

5 order against further disclosure. 

6 (e) PROMPT NOTIFICATION UPON TERMINATION

7 FROM PARTICIPATION.—If an individual’s participation in 

8 an address confidentiality program is terminated, that in9 dividual shall promptly notify each executive agency or 

10 Federal court that accepted a designated address under 

11 subsection (a). 

12 (f) DEFINITION.—In this Act: 

13 (1) ADDRESS CONFIDENTIALITY PROGRAM.— 

14 The term ‘‘address confidentiality program’’ means 

15 a program implemented pursuant to State law that 

16 provides a designated address, provides a mail-for17 warding service, and is designated by the program 

18 participant as their legal agent to receive service of 

19 process. 

20 (2) DESIGNATED ADDRESS.—The term ‘‘des21 ignated address’’ means an address assigned by an 

22 address confidentiality program for a program par23 ticipant to use in lieu of the participant’s actual 

24 physical address. 


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1 (3) EXECUTIVE AGENCY.—The term ‘‘executive 

2 agency’’ has the meaning given the term in section 

3 105 of title 5, United States Code, except that such 

4 term does not include the Census Bureau. 

5 (4) PARTICIPANT.—The term ‘‘participant’’ 

6 means an adult or minor who is enrolled in an ad7 dress confidentiality program. 

8 (5) PHYSICAL ADDRESS.—The term ‘‘physical 

9 address’’ means a program participant’s actual 

10 home, school, or employment address. 

11 (6) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means each of 

12 the States, the District of Columbia, each territory 

13 or possession of the United States, and each feder14 ally recognized Indian Tribe. 

Æ 


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