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Senate advances bill to shield employer wage data, allows court‑ordered disclosure
Summary
The Senate approved a measure to codify confidentiality for employer records held by the Department of Employment Security while keeping an exception allowing disclosure when produced under court order; the bill was placed on the third‑reading calendar.
The Utah Senate on Feb. 6 approved a committee bill to codify confidentiality for employer information reported to the Department of Employment Security while preserving limited access by court order.
Senator Stevenson, sponsor of the employment security measure, told the Senate the bill "provides for confidentiality of the information that employers provide to the Department [of Employment Security]," and that confidentiality would remain except in the case of a court order.
The bill was amended on the floor after Senator Hilliard proposed language to permit disclosure "where obtained pursuant to a court order." Hilliard said the change would allow records to be used in litigation and help auditors and courts obtain information when relevant to a case.
Supporters argued the amendment balances employer privacy with the needs of legitimate legal and oversight processes; opponents had warned that the change risks limiting audits and other administrative access. The sponsor and members cited exceptions listed in the bill (section 4), including limited aggregated disclosures for economic development analysis.
The Senate recorded the vote sending the second substitute of the bill to the bottom of the third‑reading calendar with 26 yes, 0 no, and 3 absent. The measure now awaits final floor action.
