HB 2730

                                                 PRINTER'S NO.   3812
                THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
                    HOUSE BILL
                    No. 2730
                                           Session of
                                             2026
INTRODUCED BY KINKEAD, KUTZ, HILL-EVANS, RIVERA, SANCHEZ,
   INGLIS, DOUGHERTY, SHUSTERMAN, MALAGARI AND HANBIDGE,
   AUGUST 7, 2026
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, AUGUST 7, 2026
                                AN ACT
1 Amending Title 23 (Domestic Relations) of the Pennsylvania
2    Consolidated Statutes, in domestic and sexual violence victim
3    address confidentiality, further providing for definitions
4    and for Address Confidentiality Program, providing for
5    private entity use of designated address and further
6    providing for disclosure of actual address and for waiver
7    process.
8    The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
9 hereby enacts as follows:
10    Section 1.    The definition of "actual address" in section
11 6702 of Title 23 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes is
12 amended and the section is amended by adding definitions to
13 read:
14 § 6702.   Definitions.
15    The following words and phrases when used in this chapter
16 shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
17 context clearly indicates otherwise:
18    "Actual address."     A residential address, school address or
19 work address of an individual. The term includes a real property
20 record maintained by a court or State or local agency as part of
1 land or tax records relating to an actual address.
2    * * *
3    "Private entity."     An entity involved in a real property
4 transaction with a program participant that may require
5 disclosure of the actual address.
6    * * *
7    "Real property record."     Any record or data maintained by a
8 court or a State or local agency as part of land or tax records.
9    "Shield."     To remove real property records from public
10 inspection.
11    * * *
12    Section 2.     Section 6703 of Title 23 is amended by adding
13 subsections to read:
14 § 6703.    Address Confidentiality Program.
15    * * *
16    (d.1)    Real property records.--A program participant who
17 acquires an ownership interest in real property while
18 participating in the program may request to shield the real
19 property records concerning the property by submitting the real
20 property notice and the deed or similar document to the county
21 or deed recording entity. A program participant shall request
22 the real property notice from the Office of Victim Advocate. The
23 Office of Victim Advocate shall provide the real property notice
24 to the requesting participant with the full legal name of the
25 participant and the program participant's substitute address
26 information. The program participant shall insert the property
27 description on the real property notice and sign the notice
28 prior to submitting the notice to the county or deed recording
29 entity. The real property notice shall include:
30(1)   The full legal name of the program participant.
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1(2)    The substitute address designated as the program
2    participant's address.
3(3)    A description of the property.
4(4)    The signature of the program participant.
5    (d.2)    Shielding.--Within 30 days of the receipt of the
6 documents under subsection (d.1), the county or deed recording
7 entity shall shield a participant's real property records.
8    (d.3)    Filing.--Each county or deed recording entity shall
9 implement a procedure, within 60 days of the enactment of this
10 subsection, for filing deeds for participants in the Address
11 Confidentiality Program within the county's and deed recorder's
12 system that shields participant real property information.
13    (d.4)    Recording methods.--If a county or deed recording
14 entity updates the deed recording methods or implements a new
15 system for recording, counties must ensure that the Address
16 Confidentiality Program participant information remains
17 protected and that the new system adequately protects future
18 real property acquisitions by participants.
19    Section 3.        Title 23 is amended by adding a section to read:
20 § 6707.1.      Private entity use of designated address.
21    (a)   Substitute address.--Private entities shall accept the
22 substitute address designated on a valid program participation
23 card issued to the program participant by the Office of Victim
24 Advocate as the program participant's address except:
25(1)    when the private entity has been granted a waiver
26    pursuant to section 6709 (relating to waiver process); or
27(2)    when the program participant is any of the
28    following:
29(i)    a released offender complying with State or
30county probation or parole requirements; or
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1(ii)   a convicted sexual offender who has fulfilled
2the offender's sentence but must register the offender's
3community residence as required under 42 Pa.C.S. Ch. 97
4Subch. H (relating to registration of sexual offenders)
5or I (relating to continued registration of sexual
6offenders) or any similar registration requirement
7imposed by any other jurisdiction.
8    (b)    Authorization.--A financial institution shall be
9 authorized to require a request in writing and on a form
10 prescribed by the Office of Victim Advocate identifying an
11 individual as a program participant.
12    Section 4.      Sections 6708 and 6709 of Title 23 are amended to
13 read:
14 § 6708.    Disclosure of actual address.
15    The Office of Victim Advocate or a county or other deed
16 recording entity shall not disclose the actual address of a
17 program participant except to any of the following:
18(1)   A State or local government agency or private entity
19    when the State or local government agency or private entity
20    has been granted a waiver by the Office of Victim Advocate
21    and the disclosure is made pursuant to section 6709 (relating
22    to waiver process).
23(2)   A person or agency when disclosure is determined by
24    the Office of Victim Advocate to be required due to an
25    emergency and the disclosure is made pursuant to section 6710
26    (relating to emergency disclosure).
27(3)   A person identified in an order of court directing
28    the Office of Victim Advocate or a county or other deed
29    recording entity to disclose the program participant's actual
30    address and disclosure is made pursuant to the court order.
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1 § 6709.    Waiver process.
2    (a)    Request for waiver.--A State or local government agency
3 or a private entity requesting disclosure of a program
4 participant's actual address pursuant to this section shall make
5 such a request in writing on agency or private entity letterhead
6 and shall provide the Office of Victim Advocate with the
7 following information:
8(1)   The name of the program participant for whom the
9    agency seeks disclosure of the actual address.
10(2)   A statement, with explanation, setting forth the
11    reason or reasons that the agency or private entity needs the
12    program participant's actual address and a statement that the
13    agency or private entity cannot meet its statutory or
14    administrative obligations without disclosure of the program
15    participant's actual address.
16(3)   A particular statement of facts showing that other
17    methods to locate the program participant or the program
18    participant's actual address have been tried and have failed
19    or that the methods reasonably appear to be unlikely to
20    succeed.
21(4)   A statement that the agency or private entity has
22    adopted a procedure setting forth the steps the agency or
23    private entity will take to protect the confidentiality of
24    the program participant's actual address.
25    (b)    Notice to program participant.--
26(1)   Except as provided in paragraph (3), the Office of
27    Victim Advocate shall provide the program participant with
28    notice of a request for waiver received pursuant to
29    subsection (a), and, to the extent possible, the program
30    participant shall be afforded an opportunity to be heard
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1regarding the request.
2(2)   Except as provided in paragraph (3), the Office of
3Victim Advocate shall provide the program participant with
4written notification whenever a waiver has been granted or
5denied pursuant to this section.
6(3)   No notice or opportunity to be heard shall be given
7to the program participant when the request for disclosure is
8made by a State or local law enforcement agency conducting a
9criminal investigation involving alleged criminal conduct by
10the program participant or when providing notice to the
11program participant would jeopardize an ongoing criminal
12investigation or the safety of law enforcement personnel.
13(c)   Review of request for waiver.--The Office of Victim
14 Advocate shall promptly conduct a review of all requests
15 received pursuant to this section. In conducting a review, the
16 Office of Victim Advocate shall consider all information
17 received pursuant to subsections (a) and (b) and any other
18 appropriate information that the Office of Victim Advocate may
19 require.
20(d)   Criteria for granting a request for waiver.--The Office
21 of Victim Advocate shall grant a State or local government
22 agency's or private entity's request for waiver and release a
23 program participant's actual address pursuant to this section
24 if:
25(1)   the agency or private entity has a bona fide
26statutory or administrative need for the actual address;
27(2)   the actual address will only be used for the purpose
28stated in the request;
29(3)   other methods to locate the program participant or
30the program participant's actual address have been tried and
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1    have failed or such methods reasonably appear to be unlikely
2    to succeed; and
3(4)   the agency or private entity has adopted a procedure
4    for protecting the confidentiality of the actual address of
5    the program participant.
6    (e)   Form of waiver.--Upon granting a request for waiver
7 pursuant to this section, the Office of Victim Advocate shall
8 provide the State or local government agency or private entity
9 receiving the waiver with a form containing:
10(1)   the program participant's actual address;
11(2)   a statement setting forth the permitted use of the
12    actual address and the names or classes of persons permitted
13    to have access to and use of the actual address;
14(3)   a statement that the agency or private entity
15    receiving the waiver is required to limit access to and use
16    of the actual address to the permitted use and persons set
17    forth in the waiver; and
18(4)   the date on which the waiver expires if the
19    permitted use makes the expiration appropriate, after which
20    the agency or private entity may no longer maintain, use or
21    have access to the actual address.
22    (f)   Requirements of a State and local government agency or
23 private entity receiving a waiver.--A State or local government
24 agency or private entity granted a waiver by the Office of
25 Victim Advocate pursuant to this section shall:
26(1)   limit the use of the program participant's actual
27    address to the purposes set forth in the waiver;
28(2)   limit the access to the program participant's actual
29    address to the persons or classes of persons set forth in the
30    waiver;
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1(3)   cease to use and dispose of the program
2    participant's actual address upon the expiration of the
3    waiver; and
4(4)   except as otherwise set forth in the waiver,
5    maintain the confidentiality of a program participant's
6    actual address.
7    (g)   Denial of request for waiver.--Upon denial of a State or
8 local government agency's or private entity's request for
9 waiver, the Office of Victim Advocate shall provide prompt
10 written notification to the agency or private entity stating
11 that the agency's or private entity's request has been denied
12 and setting forth the specific reasons for the denial.
13    (h)   Filing of exceptions.--A State or local government
14 agency or private entity may file written exceptions with the
15 Office of Victim Advocate no more than 15 days after written
16 notification is provided pursuant to subsection (g). The
17 exceptions shall restate the information contained in the
18 request for waiver, state the grounds upon which the agency or
19 private entity asserts that the request for waiver should be
20 granted and specifically respond to the Office of Victim
21 Advocate's specific reasons for denial.
22    (i)   Review of exceptions and determination.--Unless the
23 State or local government agency or private entity filing
24 exceptions agrees otherwise, the Office of Victim Advocate shall
25 make a final determination regarding the exceptions within 30
26 days after the filing of exceptions pursuant to subsection (h).
27 Prior to making a final determination regarding the exceptions,
28 the Office of Victim Advocate may request additional information
29 from the agency or private entity or the program participant and
30 conduct a hearing. If the final determination of the Office of
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1 Victim Advocate is that the denial of the agency's or private
2 entity's request for waiver was properly denied, the Office of
3 Victim Advocate shall provide the agency or private entity with
4 written notification of this final determination stating that
5 the agency's or private entity's request has again been denied
6 and setting forth the specific reasons for the denial. If the
7 final determination of the Office of Victim Advocate is that the
8 denial of the agency's or private entity's request for waiver
9 has been improperly denied, the Office of Victim Advocate shall
10 grant the agency's or private entity's request for waiver in
11 accordance with this section. The final determination of the
12 Office of Victim Advocate shall be the final order of the Office
13 of Victim Advocate.
14    (j)   Agency appeal of final determination.--Within 30 days
15 after notification that the Office of Victim Advocate has made a
16 final determination affirming the denial of a State or local
17 government agency's or private entity's request for waiver, an
18 agency or private entity may file a petition for review or any
19 such other document as permitted or required by general court
20 rules. The Office of Victim Advocate shall be given notice of
21 any action commenced in accordance with this subsection or
22 general rule and shall be afforded an opportunity to respond as
23 permitted or required by general court rules.
24    (k)   Record on appeal.--The record before any court hearing
25 an agency appeal pursuant to subsection (j) shall consist of the
26 State or local government agency's or private entity's request
27 for waiver, the Office of Victim Advocate's written response,
28 the agency's exceptions, the hearing transcript, if any, and the
29 Office of Victim Advocate's final determination.
30    (l)   Use of substitute address during certain periods.--
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1 During any period of review, evaluation or appeal, the agency or
2 private entity shall, to the extent possible, accept and use the
3 program participant's substitute address[.] and shield
4 information under section 6703 (relating to Address
5 Confidentiality Program).
6    (m)   Waiver.--Nothing in this section shall be construed to
7 prevent the Office of Victim Advocate from granting a waiver to
8 a State or local government agency or private entity pursuant to
9 this section upon receipt of a program participant's written
10 consent to do so.
11    Section 5.   This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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