SECTION 1.  Chapter 9A of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2002 official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following language after section 7:

§ 8 Voter Registration for Program Participants

A program participant may register to vote as a confidential voter pursuant to G. L. c. 51, §§ 4, 44.  To qualify as a confidential voter, a program participant must disclose his or her residential address to the registrar of voters, which shall not be a public record.

Registrars, assistant registrars or boards having similar duties under any special or general law, shall not place on the street list or annual register or disclose to any person the name and residence of a voter providing the registrars with proof that he or she is a program participant.

SECTION 2.  Section 4(d) of chapter 51 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2002 official Edition, is hereby amended by adding in line 34 the words “or a program participant in the Address Confidentiality Program established by General Laws chapter 9A” after “chapter 265” and before “shall.”

SECTION 3.  Section 44 of chapter 51 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2002 official Edition, is hereby amended by adding in line 8 the words “or a program participant in the Address Confidentiality Program established by General Laws chapter 9A” after “chapter 265” and before “shall.”