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Wallsburg hears state Government Data Privacy Act briefing; towns must start program by Dec. 31, 2025
Summary
A regional presenter briefed the Wallsburg council on the Government Data Privacy Act (passed 2024), advising the town to appoint a CAO and records officer, perform a data inventory, and complete an initial internal report and staff training by Dec. 31, 2025.
A presenter at the Aug. 7 Wallsburg meeting walked the council through the new Government Data Privacy Act (GDPA) requirements and the steps the town must take this year to show initial compliance.
Spencer Foster explained the law (passed in 2024) requires local government entities to begin implementing data-privacy programs and to file an initial internal report by Dec. 31, 2025. Key items Foster identified for Wallsburg in the first year include appointing a chief administrative officer (CAO) for the privacy program (likely the mayor) and a records officer (the clerk), conducting a data inventory to list where the town collects and stores personal data, setting a retention schedule, and ensuring staff training. Foster emphasized the first-year report is internal — kept on file — and that the state provides templates, a short (about 8-minute) training video and technical assistance to help towns get started.
Foster advised that the town should identify which vendors they share data with (for example, online bill-pay services) and document what categories of personal data are collected. He offered to provide the presentation slides and templates to the town clerk and to return for future updates as the state’s reporting requirements evolve.
Council members discussed training logistics and agreed to try to schedule a joint training session with the planning commission in the coming weeks to meet the year-end compliance deadline.
