Committee recommends adoption of data-privacy resolution to limit city data sharing with federal agencies

The Select Committee on Federal Administration and Policy Changes on March 5 recommended adoption of Resolution 32194, a measure asking the executive branch to review city data-collection and sharing practices and to strengthen contractor privacy standards to reduce the risk that personally identifiable information could be used in federal civil immigration enforcement.

Council member Foster, the sponsor, told the committee the resolution is designed to ensure people can access city services “without having to worry about how any personally identifiable information might be used.” Foster said the resolution asks the executive to review data collection and sharing, increase transparency for the council, and prepare potential contractor standards updates.

Central staff outlined the resolution’s sections. The measure reaffirms existing city privacy principles (adopted by resolution in 2015), requests departments — and the Seattle Municipal Court with respect to criminal-justice records — to review data practices, and asks the executive to limit sharing of personally identifiable information unless required by law, tied to federal funding conditions, or authorized by a valid judicial warrant. The resolution also requests prompt notification to council of federal data requests and data breaches that could provide federal access to city records.

Ed and Sysich of council central staff said consultant contract language already requires contractors to notify the city before responding to any federal immigration agency request and forbids providing access to data without city authorization; the resolution asks the executive to examine and strengthen these standards and to report back by June 30 on compliance and guidance developed.

Committee members praised the resolution. Council member Saka, a former tech lawyer, urged future work to incorporate more recent international best practices such as the European Union’s GDPR and to strengthen data-security safeguards as well as privacy standards. Vice Chair Kettle and Chair Alexis Mercedes Rank emphasized the measure’s role in a suite of city actions addressing federal law enforcement cooperation.

Chair Rank moved that the committee recommend adoption of Resolution 32194; the motion was seconded by Vice Chair Kettle and the clerk recorded a roll-call recommendation of 9 in favor, 0 opposed, 0 abstentions. The committee’s recommendation will be forwarded to the full City Council for consideration on March 17.

The resolution does not change existing statutory requirements; it asks the executive to produce assessments and proposed contractor language and to return to council with findings by June 30. The committee’s action was procedural: it recommended the resolution be adopted by the full council, not that it takes immediate effect.