California’s state Assembly passed legislation Tuesday that would enhance privacy protections for service providers, weeks after an independent journalist’s investigation into alleged welfare and hospice fraud drew scrutiny from state Democrats.
The Assembly voted 57-19 to advance AB2624, sending the measure to the state Senate. Assembly member Mia Bonta, wife of California’s attorney general, sponsored the bill, which expands the state’s Safe At Home program to include workers at immigrant service providers.
What the Bill Does
The legislation allows participants to use substitute addresses designated by the secretary of state, keeping home, work and school addresses out of public records while enabling them to receive mail and legal documents, Bonta said. The bill targets what sponsors describe as online harassment and doxing of immigrant service workers.
“It allows participants to use a substitute address designated by the secretary of state, keeping their home, work and school addresses out of public records, while still allowing them to safely receive mail and legal documents through the state,” Bonta said.
The Timing and Controversy
The bill arrived less than two months after independent journalist Nick Shirley released an investigation into alleged fraud within Minnesota welfare programs, and weeks after he traveled to California to examine claims of fraudulent activity in taxpayer-funded hospice operations. Critics say the legislation targets the messenger rather than addressing the underlying fraud allegations.
Assembly member Carl DeMaio, a Republican, urged colleagues to reject the measure. “Nick Shirley shows up with his camera crew to the Somali Learning Center – or maybe one of the 90 fake hospices operating in a building in Los Angeles that was highlighted by CBS News,” DeMaio said.
“People have a right to go out there and kick the tires and find out what these organizations are doing with our taxpayer funds,” DeMaio added.
Supporters’ Position
Co-sponsor Christopher M. Ward, a Democrat from San Diego, said the state has a responsibility to protect people who face targeting because of their work. Bonta stated that employees at immigrant service providers have been targeted and doxed online.