House adopts substitute to refine state data privacy office and auditing roles

Representative Shallenberger presented the fifth substitute to HB 450 as an annual data-privacy update that clarifies how the relatively new Office of Data Privacy will operate and how auditing and complaint processes will be structured. He said the measure removes the standalone state data privacy auditor position and keeps auditing with the state auditor’s office while policy direction will come from the Office of Data Privacy. “As this office continues to grow ... the auditor's office will still maintain auditors duties, but guidelines and standards will be coming from the office of data privacy,” Shallenberger said.

Shallenberger described an ombudsman-process change so complaints will first go to the affected agency for internal resolution before proceeding to the ombudsman and said some law-enforcement technology items were removed from the bill for interim stakeholder work. Representative Cutler said the substitute was a compromise that puts auditing in the auditor's office while preserving policy-setting roles and had support from both the auditor and the attorney general.

The House adopted the substitute and passed the bill on the House floor by recorded vote.