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Town receives briefing on Utah Government Data Privacy Act compliance steps
Summary
A state privacy law requires local governments to file an initial privacy program report by Dec. 31, 2025; consultant Spencer outlined short‑term steps including appointing a CAO and records officer and training staff.
A consultant from the regional planning association briefed Hideout council members on the Utah Government Data Privacy Act (GDPA) and near‑term compliance tasks at the Oct. 9 meeting.
Spencer (Mountainland Association of Governments) told the council the new law, enacted in 2024 and codified at Utah Code 63A‑19, requires each government entity to implement a privacy program; for 2025 the immediate statutory requirement is completion of a non‑automated privacy program report and submission on or before Dec. 31, 2025.
Short‑term requirements: Spencer advised three immediate actions: (1) complete and file the privacy program report before year‑end, (2) appoint a chief administrative officer (CAO) and a records officer to be responsible for the privacy program and access requests, and (3) have all staff and council members watch an eight‑minute privacy awareness training video and log completion. He said the state’s Office of Data Privacy will use the program report as the principal compliance checkpoint this year and will be “practical” about maturity expectations during 2026.
Longer‑term tasks: In 2026 the town will need to inventory personal data flows, create a privacy policy, document vendors and data storage locations, perform a maturity assessment and establish processes for responding to data access, correction and deletion requests. Spencer offered templates and said his office will assist the town through 2026 implementation.
Why it matters: the law applies to all government entities in Utah and sets requirements for how personal data is collected, stored, protected and shared. Spencer said the state will expect incremental improvements over multiple years and that smaller jurisdictions will receive assistance and flexibility.
Ending: Councilmembers asked several clarifying questions, including the law’s enactment date and where to find code references; Spencer promised to provide templates and to work with town staff on the report and leadership appointments.
