Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2020, section 5.02, is amended to read:

5.02 ASSISTANTS.

The secretary of state shall appoint an assistant secretary of state, who shall perform all
the duties of the office when the secretary is absent or disabled. deleted text beginThe secretary may also
employ a chief clerk, a recording clerk, and a stenographer, who, besides the duties indicated
by their titles, shall perform such services in connection with the office as the secretary or
the assistant may require.
deleted text end

Sec. 3.

Minnesota Statutes 2020, section 5B.02, is amended to read:

5B.02 DEFINITIONS.

(a) For purposes of this chapter and unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the
definitions in this section have the meanings given them.

(b) "Address" means an individual's work address, school address, or residential street
address, as specified on the individual's application to be a program participant under this
chapter.

(c) "Applicant" means an adult, a parent or guardian acting on behalf of an eligible
minor, or a guardian acting on behalf of an incapacitated person, as defined in section
524.5-102.

(d) "Domestic violence" means an act as defined in section 518B.01, subdivision 2,
paragraph (a), and includes a threat of such acts committed against an individual in a domestic
situation, regardless of whether these acts or threats have been reported to law enforcement
officers.

(e) "Eligible person" means an adult, a minor, or an incapacitated person, as defined in
section 524.5-102 for whom there is good reason to believe (1) that the eligible person is a
victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, or harassment or stalking, or (2) that the eligible
person fears for the person's safety, the safety of another person who resides in the same
household, or the safety of persons on whose behalf the application is made. An individual
must reside in Minnesota in order to be an eligible person. A person registered or required
to register as a predatory offender under section 243.166 or 243.167, or the law of another
jurisdiction, is not an eligible person.

(f) "Mail" means first class letters and flats delivered via the United States Postal Service,
including priority, express, and certified mail, and excluding deleted text beginpackages, parcels,deleted text endnew text begin (1)new text end
periodicalsdeleted text begin,deleted text end and catalogues,new text begin and (2) packages and parcelsnew text end unless they are clearly identifiable
asnew text begin nonrefrigeratednew text end pharmaceuticals or clearly indicate that they are sent bynew text begin the federal
government ornew text end a state or county government agencynew text begin of the continental United States, Hawaii,
District of Columbia, or United States territoriesnew text end.

(g) "Program participant" means an individual certified as a program participant under
section 5B.03.

(h) "Harassment" or "stalking" means acts criminalized under section 609.749 and
includes a threat of such acts committed against an individual, regardless of whether these
acts or threats have been reported to law enforcement officers.

Sec. 4.

Minnesota Statutes 2020, section 5B.05, is amended to read:

5B.05 USE OF DESIGNATED ADDRESS.

(a) When a program participant presents the address designated by the secretary of state
to any personnew text begin or entitynew text end, that address must be accepted as the address of the program
participant. The person may not require the program participant to submit any address that
could be used to physically locate the participant either as a substitute or in addition to the
designated address, or as a condition of receiving a service or benefit, unless the service or
benefit would be impossible to provide without knowledge of the program participant's
physical location. Notwithstanding a person's or entity's knowledge of a program participant's
physical location, the person or entity must use the program participant's designated address
for all mail correspondence with the program participant.

(b) A program participant may use the address designated by the secretary of state as
the program participant's work address.

(c) The Office of the Secretary of State shall forward all mail sent to the designated
address to the proper program participants.

(d) If a program participant has notified a person in writing, on a form prescribed by the
program, that the individual is a program participant and of the requirements of this section,
the person must not knowingly disclose the program participant's name, home address, work
address, or school address, unless the person to whom the address is disclosed also lives,
works, or goes to school at the address disclosed, or the participant has provided written
consent to disclosure of the participant's name, home address, work address, or school
address for the purpose for which the disclosure will be made. This paragraph applies to
the actions and reports of guardians ad litem, except that guardians ad litem may disclose
the program participant's name. This paragraph does not apply to records of the judicial
branch governed by rules adopted by the supreme court or government entities governed
by section 13.045.