Committee hears bipartisan support to refocus Office of Privacy and Data Protection following JLARC recommendations

The committee heard testimony on House Bill 2,606, which updates performance measures and duties for the Office of Privacy and Data Protection (OPDP) following recommendations from the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee (JLARC).

Martha Whaling summarized the substitute: the bill removes requirements to report to JLARC and on telecommunications providers, adds five performance measures (agency improvements in privacy practices after training/reviews, public contacts and responses, training results, staff continuing education, and counts of privacy threshold analyses and privacy impact assessments) and expands duties to include review of agency projects using artificial intelligence.

Representative Stephanie Barnard, the prime sponsor, described HB 2,606 as a ‘stay in your lane’ bill that aligns duties with the office’s capacity based on JLARC’s 2025 recommendations. Katie Ruckle, the state chief privacy officer and director of OPDP, testified in support and said the office can operationalize the changes with existing resources, noting the agency provides local‑government technical assistance and posts resources publicly.

Committee members asked whether OPDP provides technical assistance to local governments and whether materials are transferable to private entities; Ruckle said the office does offer local‑government support and hosts public resources online, though it does not engage directly with private businesses.

What happens next: The committee closed the hearing; sponsors said they would work with staff to finalize language as recommended by JLARC.

Sources: staff briefing by Martha Whaling; sponsor Representative Stephanie Barnard; testimony from Katie Ruckle, chief privacy officer.