§54. Substitute address; use

A.(1) A program participant may inform any state or local agency that he is a program participant and request that such agency use the substitute address designated by the secretary of state as the participant's address of record for such agency. If any agency refuses to accept the substitute address, such agency shall submit its refusal to the secretary of state's office.

(2) If the secretary of state's office determines that there is a bona fide statutory or administrative requirement which makes necessary the use of the program participant's physical address, and that such address will not become a public record in the custody of the agency, then the secretary of state may provide the physical address of the program participant to the agency, after notifying the program participant in writing that his or her physical address will be released to the agency.

(3) If the secretary of state's office determines that there is not a bona fide statutory or administrative requirement which makes necessary the use of the program participant's physical address, or that such address will become a public record in the custody of the agency, then the secretary of state shall not provide the physical address of the program participant to the agency.

B. The secretary of state's office shall notify the appropriate registrar of voters of the identity of any program participant within the parish and provide the program participant's substitute address. The Department of State and the registrars of voters shall use the substitute address for all purposes related to voter registration and voting for a period of four years from the date that the program participant's application was filed or until the program participant's certification is canceled, whichever occurs first. The program participant's name and physical address contained in the voter registration records of the secretary of state and registrars of voters are confidential and shall not be made available for public inspection or copying.

Acts 2006, No. 613, §1; Acts 2007, No. 199, §1.