FINAL BILL REPORT

                 SHB 2792

                          C 56 L 00

                     Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description:  Protecting personal financial information.

Sponsors:  By House Committee on  (originally sponsored by Representatives Haigh, D. Schmidt, Romero, McDonald, Rockefeller and Hurst; by request of Governor Locke).

House Committee on State Government

Senate Committee on Commerce, Trade, Housing & Financial Institutions

Background:

Initiative 276, approved by the voters in 1972, requires state agencies to make 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 exemptions must be interpreted narrowly in order to effectuate a general policy favoring disclosure. 

Examples of statutory exemptions to the public records disclosure law include:  (1) personal information in agency files, the disclosure of which would violate an individual's right to privacy; (2) financial and commercial information supplied by individuals applying for various programs; and (3) residential addresses and telephone numbers of state agency employees.

Summary of Bill:

Credit card numbers, debit card numbers, electronic check numbers, card expiration dates, or bank or other financial account numbers supplied to an agency for the purpose of the electronic transfer of funds are exempt from public inspection and copying, except when the disclosure is required by law.

Financial information related to an application for a liquor, gambling, or lottery retail license is also exempt from public inspection and copying.

Votes on Final Passage:

House970

Senate420

Effective:June 8, 2000