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New bill aims to shield stalking victims

The "Safe at Home Act" would require all federal agencies to honor confidential address programs in Minnesota and other states.

ST PAUL, Minn. — As Rep. Betty McCollum sees it, the federal government should do all it can to help protect people in hiding from stalkers and abusers. That's the aim of a bill she introduced Tuesday.

Rep. McCollum's "Safe at Home Act" would require all federal agencies to accept the post office box addresses that states provide to victims in order to keep their whereabouts confidential.

"This won't cost the federal government a dime, but what it can do is provide security and comfort and reassurance to people who have been victims of domestic violence or stalking that their address will not be out there putting them in danger," McCollum told KARE.

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The threat of domestic violence is very real for thousands of women in Minnesota who've enrolled in the Safe at Home program operated by the Secretary of State's Office.

Minnesota is one of 38 states that offer a Safe at Home program, enabling stalking victims and others who are at risk of abuse to use a special post office box for a variety of business and government transactions, instead of their actual home address.

The Secretary of State office then forwards the mail to real addresses of those enrolled in the program. But some federal agencies don't accept those alternate addresses on applications for government programs.

"There are some agencies that say, 'It's no problem, we can do this. We don't view it with suspicion,'" Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon explained.

"There are other agencies that say, 'Well, we really haven't heard of this program,' and 'Why should we recognize a PO Box in St. Paul as someone's home address?'"

Simon and Minnesota 3rd District Congressman Dean Phillips were both on hand when McCollum announced the new bill in Washington. Simon was in town already for a national meeting of secretaries of state.

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McCollum said she feels the bill will generate solid support on Capitol Hill.

"I briefed the Women's Caucus, which is a bipartisan group, and people were saying this seems like a no-brainer," McCollum said.

The Safe at Home programs take some real effort by domestic abuse victims, according to Liz Richards of Violence Free Minnesota, an organization that represents 90 organizations throughout the state.

Richards said McCollum's bill is essential to making sure federal agencies respect the efforts by Minnesota and other states to protect women.

"One agency can destroy all the work you've done to create that safety zone around your house," Richards explained.

"A lot of people go into this program because they're being stalked or tracked by someone who wants to harm them."

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