23 PA Cons Stat § 6709 (2021)
2021 Pennsylvania Consolidated & Unconsolidated Statutes|Title 23 - DOMESTIC RELATIONS|Chapter 67 - Domestic and Sexual Violence Victim Address Confidentiality|Section 6709 - Waiver process

§ 6709. Waiver process. (a) Request for waiver.--A State or local government agency requesting disclosure of a program participant's actual address pursuant to this section shall make such a request in writing on agency letterhead and shall provide the Office of Victim Advocate with the following information:  (1) The name of the program participant for whom the agency seeks disclosure of the actual address.  (2) A statement, with explanation, setting forth the reason or reasons that the agency needs the program participant's actual address and a statement that the agency cannot meet its statutory or administrative obligations without disclosure of the program participant's actual address.  (3) A particular statement of facts showing that other methods to locate the program participant or the program participant's actual address have been tried and have failed or that the methods reasonably appear to be unlikely to succeed.  (4) A statement that the agency has adopted a procedure setting forth the steps the agency will take to protect the confidentiality of the program participant's actual address.  (b) Notice to program participant.-- (1) Except as provided in paragraph (3), the Office of Victim Advocate shall provide the program participant with notice of a request for waiver received pursuant to subsection (a), and, to the extent possible, the program participant shall be afforded an opportunity to be heard regarding the request.  (2) Except as provided in paragraph (3), the Office of Victim Advocate shall provide the program participant with written notification whenever a waiver has been granted or denied pursuant to this section.  (3) No notice or opportunity to be heard shall be given to the program participant when the request for disclosure is made by a State or local law enforcement agency conducting a criminal investigation involving alleged criminal conduct by the program participant or when providing notice to the program participant would jeopardize an ongoing criminal investigation or the safety of law enforcement personnel.  (c) Review of request for waiver.--The Office of Victim Advocate shall promptly conduct a review of all requests received pursuant to this section. In conducting a review, the Office of Victim Advocate shall consider all information received pursuant to subsections (a) and (b) and any other appropriate information that the Office of Victim Advocate may require.  (d) Criteria for granting a request for waiver.--The Office of Victim Advocate shall grant a State or local government agency's request for waiver and release a program participant's actual address pursuant to this section if:  (1) the agency has a bona fide statutory or administrative need for the actual address; (2) the actual address will only be used for the purpose stated in the request; (3) other methods to locate the program participant or the program participant's actual address have been tried and have failed or such methods reasonably appear to be unlikely to succeed; and  (4) the agency has adopted a procedure for protecting the confidentiality of the actual address of the program participant.  (e) Form of waiver.--Upon granting a request for waiver pursuant to this section, the Office of Victim Advocate shall provide the State or local government agency receiving the waiver with a form containing:  (1) the program participant's actual address; (2) a statement setting forth the permitted use of the actual address and the names or classes of persons permitted to have access to and use of the actual address;  (3) a statement that the agency receiving the waiver is required to limit access to and use of the actual address to the permitted use and persons set forth in the waiver; and  (4) the date on which the waiver expires if the permitted use makes the expiration appropriate, after which the agency may no longer maintain, use or have access to the actual address.  (f) Requirements of a State and local government agency receiving a waiver.--A State or local government agency granted a waiver by the Office of Victim Advocate pursuant to this section shall:  (1) limit the use of the program participant's actual address to the purposes set forth in the waiver;  (2) limit the access to the program participant's actual address to the persons or classes of persons set forth in the waiver;  (3) cease to use and dispose of the program participant's actual address upon the expiration of the waiver; and  (4) except as otherwise set forth in the waiver, maintain the confidentiality of a program participant's actual address.  (g) Denial of request for waiver.--Upon denial of a State or local government agency's request for waiver, the Office of Victim Advocate shall provide prompt written notification to the agency stating that the agency's request has been denied and setting forth the specific reasons for the denial.  (h) Filing of exceptions.--A State or local government agency may file written exceptions with the Office of Victim Advocate no more than 15 days after written notification is provided pursuant to subsection (g). The exceptions shall restate the information contained in the request for waiver, state the grounds upon which the agency asserts that the request for waiver should be granted and specifically respond to the Office of Victim Advocate's specific reasons for denial.  (i) Review of exceptions and determination.--Unless the State or local government agency filing exceptions agrees otherwise, the Office of Victim Advocate shall make a final determination regarding the exceptions within 30 days after the filing of exceptions pursuant to subsection (h). Prior to making a final determination regarding the exceptions, the Office of Victim Advocate may request additional information from the agency or the program participant and conduct a hearing. If the final determination of the Office of Victim Advocate is that the denial of the agency's request for waiver was properly denied, the Office of Victim Advocate shall provide the agency with written notification of this final determination stating that the agency's request has again been denied and setting forth the specific reasons for the denial. If the final determination of the Office of Victim Advocate is that the denial of the agency's request for waiver has been improperly denied, the Office of Victim Advocate shall grant the agency's request for waiver in accordance with this section. The final determination of the Office of Victim Advocate shall be the final order of the Office of Victim Advocate.  (j) Agency appeal of final determination.--Within 30 days after notification that the Office of Victim Advocate has made a final determination affirming the denial of a State or local government agency's request for waiver, an agency may file a petition for review or any such other document as permitted or required by general court rules. The Office of Victim Advocate shall be given notice of any action commenced in accordance with this subsection or general rule and shall be afforded an opportunity to respond as permitted or required by general court rules.  (k) Record on appeal.--The record before any court hearing an agency appeal pursuant to subsection (j) shall consist of the State or local government agency's request for waiver, the Office of Victim Advocate's written response, the agency's exceptions, the hearing transcript, if any, and the Office of Victim Advocate's final determination.  (l) Use of substitute address during certain periods.--During any period of review, evaluation or appeal, the agency shall, to the extent possible, accept and use the program participant's substitute address.  (m) Waiver.--Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent the Office of Victim Advocate from granting a waiver to a State or local government agency pursuant to this section upon receipt of a program participant's written consent to do so.    Cross References. Section 6709 is referred to in sections 6707, 6708 of this title.