An Act to amend and reenact §§ 2.2-3800, 2.2-3801, 2.2-3802, 2.2-3803, 2.2-3806, and 2.2-3809 of the Code of Virginia, relating to Government Data Collection and Dissemination Practices Act; dissemination of personal information to federal government; civil penalties.
HB1161 amends Virginia’s Government Data Collection and Dissemination Practices Act, which governs how state and local government entities collect, maintain, use, and share personal information. The bill restates the Act’s privacy principles and updates the rules for when agencies may disseminate personal information, including disclosure to comply with state or federal law, administer government programs, respond to legal process, fulfill procurement or higher-education agreements, obtain consent, or carry out a proper agency purpose.
The bill also specifically addresses dissemination of personal information to the federal government and adds civil penalties as part of the enforcement framework. In practical terms, it reinforces limits on government handling of personal data while clarifying the circumstances under which agencies may lawfully share that information. The affected statutes are §§ 2.2-3800, 2.2-3801, 2.2-3802, 2.2-3803, 2.2-3806, and 2.2-3809 of the Code of Virginia, and the changes apply broadly to state agencies, local governments, and related public entities that maintain personal information systems.
HB1161 strengthens and clarifies Virginia law on government privacy and data-sharing practices by revising the Government Data Collection and Dissemination Practices Act. It affects state and local agencies, political subdivisions, and other public entities by limiting how personal information may be collected, used, sold, and disseminated, while expressly defining permissible disclosures and adding civil penalties for violations. The bill’s reference to dissemination to the federal government suggests a tighter legal framework for intergovernmental data sharing, especially where personal information is involved.
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee debate or votes in the provided materials, the overall sentiment appears to be supportive or at least noncontroversial. The enacted chapter status indicates the bill ultimately passed and was approved, suggesting the General Assembly accepted the privacy-focused changes. The measure is framed as a consumer- and privacy-protective update to existing law rather than a major policy expansion.
The main area of potential contention is the balance between privacy protections and government access to personal information for law enforcement, administrative, and intergovernmental purposes. The bill limits dissemination but preserves several exceptions, including compliance with law, program administration, subpoenas and court orders, procurement and higher-education agreements, consent, and a broad “proper purpose” standard. Any debate would likely center on whether those exceptions are sufficiently narrow, especially the treatment of disclosures to the federal government and the scope of civil penalties for agencies and officials.