Rep. Stephanie Barnard’s bill to modernize state privacy office and strengthen AI oversight passes House

As artificial intelligence and digital technologies evolve at lightning speed, the tools used to protect citizen data must evolve just as quickly. While these advancements offer government agencies new ways to improve efficiency, they also present new risks to the privacy and security of sensitive personal information.

Recognizing that the state’s digital defenses cannot rely on outdated statutes to regulate modern technology, Rep. Stephanie Barnard, R-Pasco, introduced House Bill 2606 to modernize the Office of Privacy and Data Protection (OPDP).

“We cannot use a 2016 playbook to solve 2026 problems,” said Barnard. “As state agencies start looking at AI to streamline operations, we need to make sure there is dedicated oversight ensuring those technologies don’t compromise the privacy of Washingtonians. This bill isn’t about adding red tape. It’s about adding a necessary shield for the public’s personal information.”

HB 2606 updates OPDP’s mandate to include specific oversight of state agency projects that utilize artificial intelligence. It also shifts the office’s reporting requirements away from obsolete metrics, such as tracking telecommunications infrastructure, which is now handled by other entities, and toward tangible outcomes.

The bill establishes new performance measures focused on the number of privacy impact assessments completed, the effectiveness of training provided to state agencies, and the resolution of technical assistance requests.

“Privacy shouldn’t just be a box we check. It needs to be a measurable result,” Barnard added. “By updating these performance standards, we are ensuring that the state is actually getting better at protecting data, not just writing reports about it. This is about making government accountable to the people it serves.”

HB 2606 passed the House of Representatives with strong bipartisan support and now heads to the Senate for further consideration.

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Washington State House Republican Communications
houserepublicans.wa.gov