HB 2521 - DIGEST

Finds that: (1) The right to privacy is a personal and fundamental right protected by Article 1, section 7 of the Washington state Constitution and by the United States Constitution. All individuals have a right of privacy in information pertaining to them.

(2) Easy access to the information found on drivers' licenses and other similar identification documents facilitates the crime of identity theft, a crime that is a major concern in Washington.

(3) Washington has previously recognized the importance of protecting the confidentiality and privacy of an individual's personal information contained in identification documents such as drivers' licenses.

(4) The inclusion in identification documents of contactless integrated circuits or other devices that broadcast data or enable data to be scanned secretly and remotely will greatly magnify the potential risk to individual privacy, safety, and economic well-being that can occur from unauthorized interception and use of personal information. The inclusion of those devices will also make it possible for any person or entity with access to a reader to engage in the secret tracking of Washingtonians on an unprecedented scale.