Rep. Farrington backs bipartisan plan to protect abuse survivors

State Reps. Diana Farrington (R-Utica), Kristy Pagan (D-Canton), Kyra Harris Bolden (D-Southfield), Daire Rendon (R-Lake City) and Julie Calley (R-Portland) have introduced legislation as part of a bipartisan, bicameral plan that would strengthen protections for survivors of domestic abuse and sexual assault.

House Bills 5054-58 would strengthen protections of the Address Confidentiality Program (ACP) laid out in Senate Bills 70-76. If enacted, the plan would allow survivors to keep their addresses confidential from offenders.

“Once a survivor escapes from an abusive situation, keeping their new address a secret from their abuser can be a matter of life or death,” Farrington said. “Enacting these reforms will help keep crime victims safe and offer them some peace of mind as they rebuild their lives.”

Address confidentiality programs provide survivors with a legal substitute address, typically through a post office box, to use when public agencies require an address. Any mail received is then forwarded from the substitute address to the survivor’s actual one, keeping their information safe and protected from their abuser. If enacted, this legislation would allow Michigan to join 37 other states in offering address confidentiality programs.

“Survivors have already lived through unspeakable trauma; we must do all we can to protect their privacy, ensure their safety and prevent any further abuse,” Pagan said. “The strength of Michigan’s survivors must be recognized as we fight to join the dozens of other states who already protect their residents through address confidentiality programs like this. I’m proud to stand with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to make Michigan a safer place to call home.”