Drafter

Clerk 03/12/2025

Title

AN ORDINANCE relating to privacy rights, limiting the collection of gender information; and amending Ordinance 12550, Section 3, as amended, and K.C.C. 2.14.030.

Body

                     BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:

                     SECTION 1.  Ordinance 12550, Section 3, as amended, and K.C.C. 2.14.030 are hereby amended to read as follows:

King County is committed to balancing the promotion of public access to information with the privacy rights of its ((citizens)) residents by adhering to the following guidelines:

                     A.  Collection of personal data shall be lawful, fair, and to the extent possible with the knowledge and consent of the individual;

                     B.  Agencies shall establish procedures to ensure that data is accurate, complete, current, and relevant to the agency's mandated functions;

                     C.  Agencies shall periodically review their outward facing communications to members of the public, including, but not limited to websites, signs, and forms to ensure that they conform to county data collection policies;

                     D.  When data can only be collected with the consent of the individual, the purpose for the data shall be stated upon collection.  Personal data should not be used by the county for any purpose not stated upon collection without the consent of the data subject or by the positive authorization of law.  This is not intended to limit collection of personal data for purposes of investigative agencies or other functions which collect non-disclosable information according to chapter 42.56 RCW or any other federal, state, or local statute, rule, or regulation;

                     ((D.)) E.  Agencies shall only collect an individual's gender information, including gender identity or gender assigned at birth, when the information is necessary for the fulfillment of an agency's legitimate purpose or when otherwise required by federal, state, or local statute, rule, or regulation;

                     F.  Agencies shall not collect gender assigned at birth when gender identity would be sufficient to fulfill the agency’s legitimate purpose;

                     G.  Whenever an agency collects gender information, in accordance with subsection E. of this section, the forms shall include an "X" gender designation option and the purpose for the information shall be stated upon collection;

                     H.  Personal data shall be reasonably protected by the data collector;

                     ((E.)) I.  Agencies shall establish mechanisms for ((citizens)) residents to review information about themselves and to submit corrections of possible inaccuracies in that information; and

                     ((F.)) J.  The executive shall electronically file ((submit)) a report by October 1 of every year ((filed in the form of a paper original and an electronic copy to)) with the clerk of the council, who shall retain the original and provide an electronic copy to all councilmembers and committee coordinator for the government and accountability committee or its successor.  The report shall list by category new and existing personal

data collected by county agencies, a description of the uses of this personal data, and its public disclosure status.