RETRIEVE BILL
 
                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                         5522--A
 
                               2003-2004 Regular Sessions
 
                    IN SENATE
 
                                      June 12, 2003
                                       ___________
 
        Introduced  by  Sen.  SALAND -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules  --  recommitted  to
          the  Committee  on  Codes  in accordance with Senate Rule 6, sec. 8 --
          committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as  amended  and
          recommitted to said committee
 
        AN  ACT to amend the civil practice law and rules, in relation to confi-
          dentiality of addresses in civil proceedings
 
          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
 
     1    Section  1.    The civil practice law and rules is amended by adding a
     2  new rule 2103-a to read as follows:
     3    Rule 2103-a. Confidentiality of addresses in civil proceedings.    (a)
     4  Notwithstanding  any  other  provision  of law, in any civil proceeding,
     5  whether or not an order of protection or temporary order  of  protection
     6  is  sought  or  has been sought in the past, the court may, upon its own
     7  motion or upon the motion of any party, authorize any party to keep  his
     8  or  her  residential and business addresses and telephone numbers confi-
     9  dential from any party in any pleadings or other papers submitted to the
    10  court, where the court makes specific findings on the record  supporting
    11  a  conclusion  that  disclosure  of  such addresses or telephone numbers
    12  would pose an unreasonable risk to the health  or  safety  of  a  party.
    13  Pending  such  a finding, any such addresses or telephone numbers of the
    14  party seeking confidentiality shall be safeguarded and sealed  in  order
    15  to prevent its inadvertent or unauthorized use or disclosure.
    16    (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, if a party has resided
    17  or  resides in a residential program for victims of domestic violence as
    18  defined in section four hundred fifty-nine-a of the social services law,
    19  the present address of such party and the  address  of  the  residential
    20  program  for  victims  of domestic violence shall not be revealed by the
    21  court or any court personnel who may have access to such information.
 
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD15025-05-4

        S. 5522--A                          2
 
     1    (c) Upon such authorization, the court shall designate  the  clerk  of
     2  the  court  or  such other disinterested person as it deems appropriate,
     3  with consent of such disinterested person, as the agent for  service  of
     4  process  for the party whose residential and business addresses or tele-
     5  phone numbers are to remain confidential and shall notify the parties of
     6  such  designation  and the address of the agent in writing. The clerk or
     7  disinterested person designated by the court  shall,  when  served  with
     8  process  on behalf of the party whose information is to remain confiden-
     9  tial, promptly notify such party whose information is to  remain  confi-
    10  dential and forward such process to him or her in a manner calculated to
    11  be timely received.
    12    (d)  In  any case in which such confidentiality authorization is made,
    13  the party whose information is to remain confidential shall  inform  the
    14  clerk  of  the  court or disinterested person designated by the court of
    15  any change in address for purposes of receipt of service of  process  or
    16  any papers.
    17    §  2.  This  act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall
    18  have become a law and shall apply to all actions and proceedings pending
    19  or commenced on or after such effective date.