Technology (Government Transparency)

in committee · Washington · House Jan 12, 2026

HB 2391: Concerning disclosure of lists of individuals under the public records act.

HB 2391 amends Washington's public records law to restrict how agencies disclose lists of individuals. It prohibits state and local agencies from providing personal contact lists for commercial, solicitation, or fundraising purposes, unless the request is from a recognized professional association or educational organization for licensed professionals (e.g., medical or legal licensees) who pay a reasonable fee. The bill requires agencies to refuse such requests by default, with exceptions only for professional licensing data and after verifying an organization's recognition status. This directly affects anyone seeking personal contact information from government records, ensuring greater privacy protections for individuals' data.

Topics ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyRestricts disclosure of personal contact lists for commercial use, enhancing data privacy protections under public records law.90% confidence

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passed · Washington · Senate Mar 12, 2026

SB 6049: Protecting student and employee information from public disclosure.

Washington State's SB 6049 expands privacy protections for public employees and volunteers by adding new exemptions to the state's public records law. The bill shields sensitive personal information such as home addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, Social Security numbers, and emergency contacts from public disclosure. It also creates specific protections for employees who are survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, or harassment, requiring a sworn statement or proof of participation in an address confidentiality program to anonymize their work contact details. These changes directly affect all public agencies, schools, and government employers in Washington by limiting access to certain personnel records.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill shields sensitive employee personal information (including domestic violence survivors' details), directly enhancing privacy protections under labor rights framework.95% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyExpands data privacy protections by exempting sensitive personal information (SSNs, addresses, etc.) from public disclosure, directly aligning with technology privacy policies.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Employment Discrimination Data Privacy Tags Government Transparency

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in committee · Washington · House Jan 12, 2026

HB 1991: Exempting from public inspection and copying requirements email addresses of individuals who subscribe to regular communications of certain agencies as defined under the public records act.

HB 1991 exempts email addresses of individuals who subscribe to regular communications (like newsletters) from certain state agencies from public records disclosure under Washington's public records law. It directly affects people who sign up for agency updates, protecting their email addresses from being publicly accessible. The bill amends existing law (RCW 42.56.230) to add this specific exemption, ensuring these email addresses are not subject to public inspection requests. This is a procedural change focused on privacy protection for subscribers.

Topics ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyExempts subscriber email addresses from public disclosure, protecting data privacy under public records law per RCW 42.56.230.95% confidence

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in committee · Washington · Senate Jan 12, 2026

SB 5582: Concerning the disclosure of critical energy infrastructure information.

SB 5582 amends Washington State's public records law to create a new exemption protecting specific details about critical energy infrastructure. It prevents disclosure of information identifying actual or potential attacks on energy systems, vulnerabilities, or response plans - such as security assessments or system weaknesses - that could threaten public safety if made public. The bill explicitly excludes general location details or publicly available information from this exemption. This change directly affects state agencies and energy providers managing critical infrastructure, requiring them to withhold certain security-related data from public records requests. The law aims to balance transparency with the need to safeguard infrastructure vital to public health and safety.

Topics ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyProtects cybersecurity vulnerabilities by exempting sensitive infrastructure details from public disclosure to prevent attacks on energy systems.95% confidence

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in committee · Washington · House Jan 12, 2026

HB 1765: Exempting email addresses of individuals who subscribe to regular communications and updates from local agencies.

HB 1765 exempts email addresses provided by individuals to subscribe to regular communications (like newsletters) from local agencies' public records. It directly affects residents who sign up for updates from city, county, or other local government services. The bill adds these email addresses to existing privacy exemptions in Washington state law, preventing them from being disclosed under public records requests. This change ensures that people who voluntarily provide their email for non-transactional updates cannot have those addresses made publicly available. The policy applies to standard agency communications, not emails used for official transactions or services.

Topics ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyExempts subscriber email addresses from public disclosure, strengthening data privacy protections for individuals under Washington state law.90% confidence

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in committee · Washington · Senate Jan 12, 2026

SB 5707: Exempting email addresses of individuals who subscribe to regular communications and updates from local agencies.

SB 5707 would add email addresses used for subscribing to local agency communications (like newsletters) to Washington’s list of exempt public records. It directly affects individuals who provide their email to receive updates from cities, counties, or other local government bodies. The bill’s key provision ensures these subscription emails cannot be disclosed under public records law, preventing them from appearing in responses to public record requests. This change aligns with existing exemptions for other personal contact information in Washington’s public records law (RCW 42.56.230). The bill is currently in early legislative stages and has not yet become law.

Topics ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyExempts subscriber email addresses from public disclosure, protecting personal data privacy under Washington's public records law.95% confidence

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in committee · Washington · House Jan 12, 2026

HB 1949: Exempting certain scholarly communications from disclosure under the public records act.

HB 1949 exempts certain scholarly communications from Washington's public records law to protect academic confidentiality. It directly affects faculty, researchers, and students at public universities by shielding: (1) peer review materials for manuscripts or research proposals, (2) human subject identities when confidentiality was promised in consent forms, and (3) unpublished research data, code, or draft manuscripts until they are published, patented, or publicly shared. The bill ensures these materials remain confidential during the academic review and development process, aligning with existing federal research standards. This change applies only to records where confidentiality was explicitly promised or required by academic practices.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationProtects academic confidentiality for faculty/researchers at public universities, enhancing scholarly freedom and research integrity in higher education.95% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyProtects academic research data privacy by exempting unpublished materials from public disclosure, aligning with data privacy protections.90% confidence

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