Law note · Washington

Notice of security breaches involving personal information

cite RCW 19.255, as amended by HB 1071 (2019 c 241); originally enacted 2005 c 368 stage In effect since 2020-03-01 reviewed 2026-08-23

Requires a person or business conducting business in Washington and owning or licensing data that includes personal information to notify affected residents of a breach of unsecured personal information in the most expedient time possible and no more than 30 calendar days after discovery, and to notify the Attorney General where a breach affects more than 500 Washington residents.

Personal information expressly includes biometric data generated by automatic measurement of biological characteristics such as a fingerprint, voiceprint, retina, or iris, and unlike the state's dedicated Biometric Privacy Law, this definition carries no exclusion for an identifier extracted from a photograph, video, or audio recording.

What it asks of an app

  • Notify affected Washington residents of a breach of unsecured personal information, including biometric identifiers, in the most expedient time possible and no more than 30 calendar days after discovery.
  • Notify the Washington Attorney General of any breach affecting more than 500 Washington residents.

When LexLint raises it

Declared activities: processes_biometrics, processes_voice

Primary source: official codified statute text, Revised Code of Washington, and the official Washington State Legislature bill history for HB 1071

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