A bill from a Pasco Republican lawmaker to modernize the state’s privacy office and strengthen oversight of artificial intelligence has passed the House with strong bipartisan support.
Representative Stephanie Barnard’s bill would update how the state protects personal data as artificial intelligence rapidly expands in government operations.
House Bill 2606 modernizes the Office of Privacy and Data Protection, eliminates duplicative work among agencies, and adds oversight of AI projects involving sensitive personal information.
“It’s evolving now at lightning speed. We’re trying to use tools to protect our personal data for all Washingtonians, and that’s what the Office of Privacy and Data Protection does.”
Barnard says state law must keep pace with technology to ensure privacy protections remain strong as agencies adopt AI tools.
“We can’t use the 2016 playbook to solve the problems of 2026.”
The measure passed the House on an 89 to 6 vote and now moves to the Senate for further consideration.
# # #