[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4705 Introduced in House (IH)]

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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.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Safe at Home Act''.

SEC. 2. EXECUTIVE AGENCY AND FEDERAL COURT COMPLIANCE WITH STATE 
              ADDRESS CONFIDENTIALITY PROGRAMS.

    (a) In General.--Each executive agency and Federal court shall 
accept, for any purpose for which an individual is required to provide 
an address to the agency or court, an address designated to that 
individual pursuant to an address confidentiality program.
    (b) Exemption From Liability.--A participant shall not be subject 
to Federal regulatory, civil, or criminal penalties for providing a 
designated address in lieu of the participant's actual physical 
address.
    (c) Regulatory Compliance With Address Confidentiality Programs.--
Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, each 
executive agency shall review and, as necessary, modify existing 
regulations to comply with this Act.
    (d) Compliance With Address Confidentiality Program Procedures and 
Exemption From FOIA.--In the case of an executive agency or Federal 
court seeking to acquire the actual physical address of a participant, 
the agency or court shall comply with any applicable procedures of the 
address confidentiality program for acquiring such address. Upon 
acquiring such an address, the address shall be considered 
confidential, and shall not be subject to any request pursuant to 
section 552 of title 5, United States Code (commonly referred to as the 
``Freedom of Information Act''), except that in extreme circumstances a 
court may order the disclosure of that address pursuant to such request 
subject to a protective order against further disclosure.
    (e) Prompt Notification Upon Termination From Participation.--If an 
individual's participation in an address confidentiality program is 
terminated, that individual shall promptly notify each executive agency 
or Federal court that accepted a designated address under subsection 
(a).
    (f) Definition.--In this Act:
            (1) Address confidentiality program.--The term ``address 
        confidentiality program'' means a program implemented pursuant 
        to State law that provides a designated address, provides a 
        mail-forwarding service, and is designated by the program 
        participant as their legal agent to receive service of process.
            (2) Designated address.--The term ``designated address'' 
        means an address assigned by an address confidentiality program 
        for a program participant to use in lieu of the participant's 
        actual physical address.
            (3) Executive agency.--The term ``executive agency'' has 
        the meaning given the term in section 105 of title 5, United 
        States Code, except that such term does not include the Census 
        Bureau.
            (4) Participant.--The term ``participant'' means an adult 
        or minor who is enrolled in an address confidentiality program.
            (5) Physical address.--The term ``physical address'' means 
        a program participant's actual home, school, or employment 
        address.
            (6) State.--The term ``State'' means each of the States, 
        the District of Columbia, each territory or possession of the 
        United States, and each federally recognized Indian Tribe.
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