The bill establishes address confidentiality protections for first responders (peace officers, firefighters, volunteer firefighters, emergency medical service providers, or others who respond to public safety emergencies) starting January 1, 2026. Here's a breakdown of the key provisions:
Address Confidentiality for First Responders:
Eligibility:
First responders (and their spouses) can request that their address be kept confidential in the following voter registration records:
County Clerk and Recorder records.
Centralized Statewide Registration System maintained by the Secretary of State.
Request Process:
A first responder can request address confidentiality when registering to vote or updating voter registration.
The Secretary of State must include a section in the electronic voter registration form where first responders can indicate they wish to request address confidentiality.
If a first responder indicates they want confidentiality, they are automatically directed to a separate electronic application to finalize the request.
The Secretary of State is responsible for sending the completed application to the county clerk and recorder of the first responder's registered county to implement the address confidentiality at the local level.
Implementation:
The Secretary of State and county clerks must ensure that the first responder’s address is kept confidential and is not available for inspection or disclosure.
Fee and Disclosure:
The Secretary of State cannot charge a fee for the first responder’s request for address confidentiality.
The custodian of voter registration records is prohibited from allowing the address of a first responder who has requested confidentiality to be disclosed or inspected, citing that it would be contrary to the public interest.
Non-Disclosure:
A first responder’s request for address confidentiality itself is not a public record and cannot be disclosed to the public.
First responders and their spouses can request that their address information be kept confidential in voter registration records starting January 2026.
The process is facilitated electronically via the Secretary of State's voter registration system.
There are no fees for the request, and the address will not be disclosed in any public records.
This ensures the privacy and safety of first responders, recognizing the risks they face in their roles.
Summary
Beginning January 1, 2026, an elector or the spouse of an elector
who is or has been a peace officer, firefighter, volunteer firefighter, emergency medical service provider, or other individual who responds to a public safety emergency (first responder) may request that the address included in the following records concerning the first responder be kept confidential (address confidentiality):
•
Voter registration records in the custody of a county clerk and recorder; and
•
Voter registration records in the centralized statewide registration system maintained by the secretary of state (secretary).
A first responder may request address confidentiality on the
electronic voter registration form or record created by the secretary. The secretary is required to ensure that the electronic voter registration form and an elector's voter registration record includes a place for a first responder to indicate that they are a first responder and request address confidentiality. The secretary is also required to ensure that when a first responder indicates on their voter registration form or record that they are requesting address confidentiality, the first responder is automatically directed to an electronic application form that requests certain information to allow the secretary to implement the address confidentiality request.
The secretary is required to provide a copy of each completed
application to the clerk and recorder of the county where the first responder is registered to vote for the purpose of implementing address confidentiality for the records maintained by the county clerk and recorder.
The secretary is prohibited from charging a fee in connection with
a first responder's request for address confidentiality.
The custodian of any voter registration records that concern a first
responder who has requested address confidentiality is required to deny the right of inspection of the first responder's address contained in the records on the ground that disclosure would be contrary to the public interest.
A first responder's request for address confidentiality is not a
public record subject to public inspection.
