Title: An act relating to the release of personal information.

Brief Description: Protecting personal information of public employees and home care workers.

Sponsors: Senate Committee on Government Operations & Elections (originally sponsored by Senators Carrell, Schmidt, Benson, Swecker, Honeyford, Delvin, Schoesler, Roach, Mulliken and Benton).

Brief History:

State Government Operations & Accountability: 3/25/05 [DP].

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS & ACCOUNTABILITY

Majority Report: Do pass. Signed by 8 members: Representatives Haigh, Chair; Green, Vice Chair; Nixon, Ranking Minority Member; Clements, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Hunt, McDermott, Miloscia and Schindler.

Staff: Jim Morishima (786-7191).

Background:

The Public Disclosure Act requires that all state and local government agencies make all public records available for public inspection and copying unless they fall within certain statutory exemptions. The provisions requiring public records disclosure must be interpreted liberally and the exceptions narrowly in order to effectuate a general policy favoring disclosure.

The residential addresses or residential telephone numbers of employees or volunteers of a public agency are exempt from public records disclosure when they are held by any public agency in personnel records, public employment related records, volunteer rosters, or mailing lists.

Summary of Bill:

The following information is exempt from public records disclosure when it is held by any public agency in personnel records, public employment related records, volunteer rosters, or mailing lists:

• personal wireless telephone numbers, personal e-mail addresses, social security numbers, and emergency contact information of employees or volunteers of a public agency or individual home care workers; and
• names, dates of birth, residential addresses, residential phone numbers, personal wireless telephone numbers, personal e-mail addresses, social security numbers, and emergency contact information of dependents of employees or volunteers of a public agency or independent home care workers.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Not requested.

Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For: (In support) This bill is identical to legislation that passed out of the House last year, except that it adds home health care workers and makes a few other minor changes in order to make it as inclusive as possible.

Testimony Against: None.

Persons Testifying: (In support) Senator Carrell, prime sponsor.

Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: None.