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House pauses bill clarifying disclosure of driver‑license records after extended privacy concerns
Summary
Lawmakers circled HB290 following detailed questioning about which government entities may access driver's license records and audit findings about prior disclosures; the sponsor said the bill 'clarifies' rather than 'expands' access, but several members asked for tightened language and auditor review.
Representative Perry introduced first substitute HB290, a bill intended to clarify when and to whom the Division of Driver License may disclose personal information from driver‑license records. Perry said the measure aligns Governor's office guidance and the Driver's Privacy Protection Act (DPPA) with GRAMA (the Government Records Access and Management Act) and is intended to resolve confusion highlighted in an auditor review.
"This does not expand. Actually, this just clarifies," Representative Perry said during floor remarks and repeated in responses to members’ questions. Lawmakers pressed him on which entities would qualify as a "government entity," whether higher‑education institutions or local school districts would have access under the bill, and on specific lines (46–50) that some members said were broad enough to allow unintended disclosures.
Representative Segmenter and others cited an audit that identified six channels through which driver license information had been shared; they said the bill should more tightly control those pathways. Representative Robertson reported receiving a letter from the auditor outlining ongoing concerns and asked why the bill would codify practices when the audit found issues.
In response, Perry said the language clarifies exemptions historically used (including longstanding arrangements with the Census Bureau and related university data collection under an executive order) and that the auditor’s office indicated the revised language "looks like it clarifies." Given continuing questions, several representatives moved to circle the bill for additional work. The motion to circle passed and the bill was set aside for revision and further consultation with the auditor's office and stakeholders.
