House Bill 117 would conceal address of domestic violence victims

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah lawmakers are working on a bill that would protect the victims of domestic violence by concealing their address information from publicly accessible records.

House Bill 117 establishes a program where, under the Utah Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice (CCJJ) a qualifying person would be provided a fake address. It would be published and used for all purposes, including that person’s driver’s license.

“They would use that address essentially for anything, and then their mail would be routed to the fictitious address,” said Rep. Stephanie Pitcher, the sponsor of the bill.

The bill also allows for a case manager to be assigned to anybody participating in the program, Pitcher said. 

And, only certain people would qualify for the address protection program.

“Only individuals who are victims of stalking, domestic violence, sexual abuse, would qualify or be eligible,” she said.

Utah is one of ten states that do not have address protections for victims of domestic violence. Pitcher said the state should not be lagging on this, and should instead be at the forefront of the issue.

Other reading:

• Shining a Light on Domestic Violence: know the signs and what to do
• Police discover incendiary device in responding to domestic violence call
• Surviving domestic violence during a pandemic
• A Disney World ticket booker alerted police to a domestic violence victim after taking their call