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State data-privacy law requires Meadow to name officers, submit form by Dec. 31, presenter says
Summary
A state presenter told Meadow Town Council that amendments to the Government Data Privacy Act require municipalities to designate a chief administrative officer and a records officer, fill out a state form on privacy.utah.gov and submit it by Dec. 31; the presenter offered to assist towns with the process.
Jess Peterson, who addressed the Meadow Town Council at its meeting, told the council that recent amendments to the state Government Data Privacy Act impose new, mandatory steps for municipalities.
"The first of the first things is assigning a chief administrative officer and then a records officer," Peterson said, adding that the two roles may be held by the same person depending on town size. Peterson said the law requires towns to fill out a standardized form and submit it to the state privacy office and pointed council members to privacy.utah.gov for guidance and a short training video.
Peterson said the first deadline is Dec. 31, when each municipality must submit its completed form. Peterson described the state’s process as phased, noting additional milestone dates as towns adopt policies and begin deeper compliance work. Peterson offered to help Meadow staff and officials complete the form and said state staff will review submissions to identify statewide gaps.
Council members asked clarifying questions about titles and overlap with existing records responsibilities under GRAMA (the Government Records Access and Management Act). Peterson said a town’s existing GRAMA records officer typically satisfies the records-officer requirement for the privacy form.
Councilmember Speaker 1 asked staff to add the data privacy item to next month’s agenda so members could read the materials and return with questions in October. Peterson told the council there is an 8‑minute training video on the state site that officials and any staff who collect information should view.
Next steps: the council placed the data privacy item on the next agenda for review and directed staff to work with the presenter and the state resource as needed.
