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HB 6883

AN ACT PROTECTING THE LOCATION OF HOUSING FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT VICTIMS.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Hector Arzeno and 52 co-sponsors

Protects the location data of DV/sexual assault survivor housing from public disclosure, shielding shelters' addresses while allowing essential law enforcement access.

SIGNED BY GOVERNOR
#address #crimevictims #disclosure #domesticviolence #emergencyservicesandpublicprotection #departmentof #freedomofinformation #housing #municipalemployees #sexualassault #sheltersfordomesticviolencevictims #stateemployees
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Bill Summary · HB 6883

Summary — HB 6883: “An Act Protecting the Location of Housing for Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Victims”

Status: Signed by Governor (enacted as Public Act No. 25‑70) — introduced Feb 6, 2025; Governor’s signature recorded June 2025.

Purpose

The bill’s stated purpose is to protect the safety and privacy of survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault by preventing public disclosure of the physical locations used to house those survivors. It aims to limit release of address and location information for shelters, safe houses, transitional or emergency housing and similar facilities used to protect victims.

Key provisions (summary of substantive effects)

  • Establishes confidentiality protections for the location information (e.g., street addresses, maps, geolocation data) of housing used to shelter victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.
  • Exempts such location information from disclosure under state freedom of information / public records laws and related disclosure statutes.
  • Applies these protections to records held by state agencies, municipal offices and employees, and entities that operate or fund victim housing (including references to the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection in bill subject matter).
  • Preserves the ability of authorized parties (for example, law enforcement, courts, or other entities with lawful need) to access location information, while restricting public release — the bill creates a confidentiality class rather than an absolute ban on necessary official sharing.
  • Requires agencies and covered entities to adopt or follow procedures to maintain the confidentiality of protected location information (training, record-handling practices, and non-disclosure protocols are implied needs).

Note: The full statutory text will specify exact definitions (what counts as “housing” and “location information”), the scope of the FOI exemption, and any procedural or enforcement mechanisms.

Who is affected

  • Survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault (increased privacy and safety).
  • Shelters, safe houses, transitional housing programs, and nonprofit service providers (greater confidentiality obligations and protections).
  • State and municipal agencies and employees who maintain or process records tied to victim housing (must withhold specified location information from public disclosure).
  • Members of the public and media (reduced access to certain public records).
  • Law enforcement and courts (retained access as necessary under the bill’s exemptions).

Legislative timeline / procedural notes

  • Introduced: Feb 6, 2025; public hearing Feb 13, 2025.
  • Reported out of committee and favorably recommended in March 2025.
  • Passed both chambers in May–June 2025 (House and Senate actions with amendments, concurrence).
  • Enrolled/transmitted to the Secretary of State in mid‑June 2025 and signed by the Governor (recorded as Public Act No. 25‑70, June 2025).

Potential impacts and considerations

  • Safety: Reduces risk to survivors by limiting public dissemination of shelter locations.
  • Transparency trade-off: Narrows public access to some government records; agencies will need to balance confidentiality with accountability.
  • Administrative burden: Agencies and providers may need to change recordkeeping practices and train staff; minimal fiscal impact expected but official cost estimates would be provided by the Office of Fiscal Analysis when available.
  • Legal detail: The exact reach of the exemption (definitions, exceptions, penalties for improper disclosure) will determine operational and legal effects; consult the enacted statute text for specific legal language.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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