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Representative pitches HB522 to bar government from building unsanctioned databases of residents' personal data
Summary
Representative Keith Irff told the Senate Judiciary Committee HB522 would prohibit government entities from acquiring or retaining personal information from third‑party providers unless specifically authorized by statute, while preserving existing statutory exceptions for law enforcement and emergencies.
The Senate Judiciary Committee considered HB522, a bill sponsored by Representative Keith Irff that would bar government entities from acquiring, collecting, retaining or using personal information from third‑party providers unless a statute specifically authorizes the activity.
"Unless specifically authorized by statute, no government entity shall acquire, collect, retain, or use any personal information of any individual residing in New Hampshire from any third party provider," Irff told the committee. He and supporters said the bill is meant to codify a limit on government collection of third‑party personal data and to implement the privacy protections voters recently added to the state constitution.
The bill includes a series of exemptions intended to preserve existing law enforcement, regulatory, subpoena and warrant practices and to allow emergency disclosures when there is immediate danger of death or serious physical injury. Representative Irff said the language was developed over several sessions in consultation with state departments and local governments to avoid sweeping changes to current operations.
Supporters, including residents and other members of the public, described the measure as a statute that puts a fence around government activity rather than expanding or rolling back existing lawful practices. "Anything that the government is doing today, they can continue to do," one supporter said. "What this says basically is they can't expand that without legislative authority."
Committee members asked how the bill would apply in concrete situations, such as school records or municipal program databases. Sponsors responded that the bill is focused on the creation and retention of government databases beyond a specific statutory purpose and that many routine records functions would be unaffected. Several senators asked for legal clarification; sponsors and witnesses suggested further technical work and study to refine the bill.
The committee concluded the hearing without taking a vote on HB522.
