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Bill

HB 1991

Exempting from public inspection and copying requirements email addresses of individuals who subscribe to regular communications of certain agencies as defined under the public records act.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Lillian Ortiz-Self and 1 co-sponsor

HB 1991 exempts subscriber email addresses for agency communications from public records disclosure to protect individual privacy.

First reading, referred to State Government & Tribal Relations.
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Bill Summary · HB 1991

Legislative bill overview

HB 1991 would exempt the email addresses of individuals who subscribe to agency communications from Washington's public records disclosure requirements. This means agencies could withhold these email addresses when responding to public records requests, treating them as private information rather than public records.

Why is this important

Public records laws are foundational to government transparency and citizen oversight. This bill directly impacts how much information about public engagement citizens can access—specifically, whether they can see who is subscribing to government communications. It affects both the privacy of engaged citizens and the transparency of government outreach efforts.

Potential points of contention

  • Privacy vs. Transparency trade-off: Exempting email addresses protects subscriber privacy but reduces visibility into government communication patterns and potential selective outreach to certain groups or communities.
  • Scope ambiguity: The bill references "certain agencies as defined under the public records act" without specifying which agencies qualify, leaving implementation unclear and potentially creating inconsistent protections.
  • Precedent concerns: Creating broad exemptions for subscriber data could invite similar exemptions for other public engagement metrics (petition signers, meeting attendees, survey respondents), gradually eroding transparency.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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