A new law passed by the General Assembly and signed into law by Governor Andy Beshear will help victims of domestic violence, stalking, and other personnel protect their location from those who might try to hurt them.
The law changes the older laws that only allowed a surrogate address on the voter rolls.
The new law allows for a victim to petition the Secretary of State to change the address on their driver's license and other legally held addresses. Those granted permission would be able to use a surrogate address to hide their real location.
Everyone has their address and information on file with many state agencies. Because the government records are public domain, victims’ addresses could be found in seconds with a simple internet search.
The Safe at Home Act allows for more confidentiality for victims. It drops the requirement that they have a protective order against someone.
The bill has supporters on both sides of the aisle, including the Republican Secretary of State who said the bill will "help ensure survivors of domestic violence get the protection they deserve."
This bill was part of a collection of bills Beshear signed that increased support for police and protected children in school.
Billy Mosley, Lead Reporter for The Kentucky Daily