Thank you for visiting The Washington State Legislature Website and reviewing our Privacy Notice. This notice addresses collection, use and security of and access to information that may be obtained through use of The Washington State Legislature Website. This notice covers the following topics:
If you do nothing during your visit to The Washington State Legislature Website but browse or download information, we automatically collect and store the following information about your visit:
- The Internet Protocol Address and domain name used but not the email address. The Internet Protocol address is a numerical identifier assigned either to your Internet service provider or directly to your computer. We use the Internet Protocol Address to direct Internet traffic to you;
- The type of browser and operating system you used;
- The date and time you visited this site;
- The web pages or services you accessed at this site; and
- The web site you visited prior to coming to this web site.
The information we automatically collect or store is used to improve the content of our web services and to help us understand how people are using our services. The Washington State Legislature Website analyzes our web site logs to continually improve the value of the materials available on our site. Our web site logs are not personally identifiable, and we make no attempt to link them with the individuals that browse The Washington State Legislature Website
Additional information we might collect is limited to what you provide. If during your visit to The Washington State Legislature Website you participate in a survey or send an email, the following additional information will be collected:
- The e-mail address, and contents of e-mail, for those who communicate with us via e-mail.
- Information volunteered in response to a survey.
- Information volunteered through an on-line form for any other purpose.
The information collected is not limited to text characters and may include audio, video, and graphic information formats you send us. The information is retained in accordance with Chapter 40.14 RCW, Preservation and Destruction of Public Records.
We use your email to respond appropriately. This may be to respond to you, to address issues you identify, to further improve our web site, or to forward the email to another agency for appropriate action. Survey information is used for the purpose designated.
Our District Finder Service uses your street address to determine the voting district in which you reside. The address you provide is not retained on our systems.
If you use a Representative's or Senator’s email form, the address you provide is used to determine your voting district. The address and content that you submit via the member’s email form are forwarded to the receiving member. Your name, address, and the content of your message are not retained on legislative systems for any other purpose.
"Personal information" is information about a natural person that is readily identifiable to that specific individual. Personal information includes such things as an individual's name, address, and phone number. A domain name or Internet Protocol address is not considered personal information.
We collect no personal information about you unless you voluntarily participate in an activity that asks for information (i.e., sending an email or participating in a survey). If you choose not to participate in these activities, your choice will in no way affect your ability to use any other feature of The Washington State Legislature Website.
If personal information is requested on the web site or volunteered by the user, state law and the federal Privacy Act of 1974 may protect it. However, this information is a public record once you provide it, and may be subject to public inspection and copying if not protected by federal or state law.
Users are cautioned that the collection of personal information requested from or volunteered by children on-line or by email will be treated the same as information given by an adult, and may be subject to public access.
In the State Of Washington, laws exist to ensure that government is open and that the public has a right to access appropriate records and information possessed by state government. At the same time, there are exceptions to the public's right to access public records that serve various needs including the privacy of individuals. Both state and federal laws provide these exceptions.
RCW 42.17. 260(1) states that
Each agency, in accordance with published rules, shall make available for public inspection and copying all public records, unless the record falls within the specific exemptions of subsection (6) of this section [RCW 42.17.260(6)], RCW 42.17.310, 42.17.315, or other statute which exempts or prohibits Disclosure of specific information or records. To the extent required to prevent an unreasonable invasion of personal privacy interests protected by RCW 42.17.310 and 42.17.315, an agency shall delete identifying details in a manner consistent with RCW 42.17.310 and 42.17.315 when it makes available or publishes any public record; however, in each case, the justification for the deletion shall be explained fully in writing.
In the event of a conflict between this Privacy Notice and the Public Records Act or other law governing the Disclosure of records, the Public Records Act or other applicable law will control.
You can review any personal information we collect about you. You may recommend changes to your personal information you believe in error by submitting a written request that credibly shows the error. If you believe that your personal information is being used for a purpose other than what was intended when submitted, you may contact us. In all cases, we will take reasonable steps to verify your identity before granting access or making corrections. See Contact Information section.
To better serve our users we are now using "cookies" to customize your browsing experience with The Washington State Legislature Website. Cookies are small chunks of text temporarily stored on your computer; generally containing a session ID number and information that the web application can use to complete its tasks. They provide a method of distinguishing among visitors to The Washington State Legislature Website. We use the cookie feature only to store a randomly generated identifying tag on your computer.
Cookies created on your computer by using this web site do not contain personally identifying information and do not compromise your privacy or security. You can refuse the cookie or delete the cookie file from your computer by using any of the widely available methods. It is important to note that in most cases at our site, the cookie is removed as soon as the session is over.