Committee backs bill limiting release of protected addresses to court order for domestic-violence survivors

Senator Tucker presented Senate Bill 552 to the Senate Transportation Committee, saying the bill narrows who may obtain a protected person's address on file with the DMV. Under current practice, a survivor may list a PO box rather than a physical address; supporters said the bill would require a court order to obtain the physical address and bar release to anyone convicted of domestic violence against the protected person.

"Under current law, you can only get the address if they present a compelling reason in an affidavit," Senator Tucker said, describing the existing process. "And this changes that to say that you can only get the address if you have a court order to get it."

Committee members asked whether similar protections should be extended to people facing other kinds of threats (for example, terroristic threats), and Tucker said the bill is restricted to domestic violence but broader protections could be pursued in separate legislation. After brief discussion, the committee voted to pass SB 552 (motion by Senator Pidge; second by Senator English).

The committee advanced the bill to the next stage of the legislative process.