Governor signs Smith’s bill establishing the Office of Privacy and Data Protection
House Bill 2875, sponsored by Rep. Norma Smith to establish the Office of Privacy and Data Protection was signed into law last week by Gov. Jay Inslee.
The office will be tasked with seeking ways to limit data collection by state agencies, tracking the sale of private information to third parties, and monitoring citizen complaints regarding the collection and use of personal information. It will also be required to conduct an annual privacy review, hold annual privacy training, and educate consumers through public outreach across Washington state. Smith's efforts build on the governor's initial executive order signed earlier this year.
Smith, R-Clinton, says working to protect the personal information of Washingtonians is protected is of the utmost importance.
“I am grateful to the governor and his staff for their efforts in positioning Washington state as a leader in privacy and data protection,” said Smith. “Our bipartisan work to establish this office will enable the state to work with state agencies to establish best practices to safeguard the private information of Washingtonians.”
House Bill 2875 passed the House 97-0 and the Senate 40-8 before being signed by the governor. It will go into effect in June.
