Senate committee advances bill to create state‑endorsed digital identity program

The Senate Government Operations and Political Subdivisions Committee on Thursday voted to favorably recommend Senate Bill 275, which would create a State‑Endorsed Digital Identity program (SETI) and codify a digital identity bill of rights.

Sponsor presentation and bill aims Sponsor (referred to in the hearing as Senator Colmore) told the committee that last year’s SB260 established guiding principles declaring that identity belongs to the individual, embedded privacy and anti‑surveillance guardrails, and required study before implementation. SB275 would convert those principles into an operational program with formal rulemaking, mandatory public comment, annual reporting to the Legislature, a qualified program manager, and technical infrastructure housed in a state‑controlled data center. The sponsor said the bill guarantees the right to use a physical ID instead of a digital ID, the right not to be compelled to use a digital ID, selective disclosure of identity…