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House passes GRAMA changes that protect certain personal contact information and limit forced reformatting of records
Summary
First substitute HB28, amending the Government Records Access and Management Act to classify some personal contact data as protected and to prevent government entities from being required to reformat records on demand, passed after lengthy floor debate, 44‑28.
The Utah House approved substantial changes to the state’s public‑records law in first substitute House Bill 28, a package of amendments drafted by a legislative task force. The bill classifies specified personal contact information (home address, telephone number, mobile phone) as a protected record in certain circumstances, tightens protections for third‑party contractors who manage government databases, and clarifies that government entities are not required to reformat or compile records in unusual formats for requesters.
Representative Douglas Agard, sponsor of the GRAMA bill, told colleagues the bill responds to concerns about misuse of information and the burden of reformatting large government databases for commercial requesters. “We’re proposing as item 51 on line 528 to protect an individual's home address, telephone number, or personal mobile phone number if that individual is required to give the information to the government entity as a result of a law, ordinance or rule,” he said. Agard emphasized the bill does not affect voter‑registration files that are already classified separately.
Floor debate focused heavily on the phraseology that would allow a government entity to decline requests that require compiling, formatting, manipulating, packaging, summarizing or tailoring information — language members warned could be used to deny legitimate requests. Representative Becker moved to delete the words "manipulate, summarize, or tailor," arguing those terms could be misused to withhold records; the motion failed on a recorded voice vote. Sponsors said the change reflects existing language in other sections and is intended to curb nuisance requests that impose heavy costs on smaller agencies.
Representative Agard told the House the bill balances the public’s right to know with privacy and government efficiency and noted third‑party vendors will be explicitly required by code not to share protected information. After debate and failed floor amendments, first substitute HB28 passed 44‑28 and will be referred to the Senate.
