46-5-7. Plan to ensure confidentiality of family violence shelters’ addresses and locations.

Prior to January 1, 2005, each person, corporation, or other entity that provides telephone service in this state and each person, corporation, or other entity that publishes, disseminates, or otherwise provides telephone directory information or listings of telephone subscribers in this state shall file a plan with the commission setting forth in detail how such person, corporation, or other entity will protect the confidentiality of the address or location of family violence shelters, as defined in Code Section 19-13-20, in this state. Such plan shall describe the manner in which the person, corporation, or other entity will identify all such shelters and the manner in which the person, corporation, or other entity will keep the location and address of such shelters confidential.#

Such persons, corporations, and other entities shall update such plans at least every 24 months.#

Such original and updated plans shall be approved by the commission within a reasonable time upon a determination that the plans are reasonably effective in identifying the family violence shelters in the state and in maintaining the confidentiality of the location and address of such family violence shelters. If the commission determines that a plan is inadequate, it shall state the basis on which the plan was determined to be inadequate and shall allow the person, corporation, or other entity filing such plan a period of not more than 30 days to file a revised plan that is acceptable to the commission.#

Such plans shall not be open to examination by the public and shall be exempt from disclosure under the provisions of Article 4 of Chapter 18 of Title 50.#

Within three days of filing original plans or updates with the commission, each person, corporation, or other entity subject to this Code section shall submit a copy of all original plans, updated plans, and revised plans to the State Commission on Family Violence, which is authorized to provide comments concerning such plans to the commission in order to aid in review and approval of such plans.#

The filing or approval of such plans shall not in any manner be a defense to any action or prosecution.#