Bill > H1019

This bill creates exemptions from public records laws for information about the locations of safe houses, safe foster homes, and other residential facilities that serve victims of sexual exploitation or adult victims of human trafficking involving commercial sexual activity, when that information is held by an agency (a government entity). This means that the public generally cannot access these locations through public records requests, which is intended to protect vulnerable individuals from their exploiters and prevent further victimization. The bill specifies that this information can still be shared between agencies as needed for health, safety, and emergency purposes. These exemptions are temporary and will be repealed on October 2, 2019, unless the Legislature acts to extend them, and the bill includes a statement of public necessity explaining why this confidentiality is crucial for victim safety and recovery. The bill's effective date is contingent on the passage of other related legislation concerning human trafficking.