Law enables sex assault, stalking and trafficking survivors to conceal their addresses

Assemblymember Catalina Cruz sponsored the Address Confidentiality Program bill. Eagle photo by Phineas Rueckert.

By Victoria Merlino

A new state program enables victims of sexual assault, stalking and human trafficking to shield their addresses from their perpetrators by providing them with substitute addresses to receive mail. 

Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed the measure, known as the Address Confidentiality Program, into law Thursday.

"Victims of heinous crimes like sexual assault and human trafficking should not have to live in constant fear that their assailant could find and potentially hurt them again," Cuomo said in a statement. 

"By signing this legislation into law we will help protect survivors from further abuse by shielding their address from public view and hopefully provide a measure of comfort as they move forward with their lives," he continued.

The Address Confidentiality Program enables users to have all first-class, registered and certified mail labeled with an Albany P.O. box address, which workers will then repackage and send to the person’s actual address. All state and local agencies are required to accept the substitute address. 

The program was initially only available to victims of domestic violence before the new law. It does not cost victims any money to participate.

Lawmakers say the additions to the program will protect more vulnerable people who may have to move to a new address in order to outrun their abuser, stalker or perpetrator. 

"This legislation has been vitally important to survivors of domestic violence, most of whom live in constant fear of their attacker,” said Queens Assemblymember Catalina Cruz, the bill’s sponsor, in a statement. “The expansion of the address confidentiality program to include survivors of offenses such as stalking and human trafficking will help protect our society's most vulnerable members.”