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WATEC-backed bill to exempt portal submissions from public records stirs privacy and transparency questions

State Government, Tribal Affairs, and Elections Committee · January 30, 2026
AI-Generated Content: All content on this page was generated by AI to highlight key points from the meeting. For complete details and context, we recommend watching the full video. so we can fix them.

Summary

Senate Bill 6,164 would exempt information submitted to WATEC’s digital experience platform from public disclosure; supporters argued the change protects user privacy on the state portal, while open-records advocates warned the exemption risks overbreadth without clear definitions and retention rules.

Senate Bill 6,164 would exempt information submitted to Washington Technology Solutions (WATEC) for digital experience platform services — including the state’s unified portal (wa.gov) — from public disclosure under the Public Records Act.

Senator Jeff Wilson, the bill’s sponsor, said the exemption protects users who enter personal information into a portal and improves the customer experience. ‘‘For the users to be able to enter in once their personal information and that to be…

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