Gender data privacy legislation passed by Council

July 1, 2025

The King County Council on Tuesday unanimously passed groundbreaking legislation to strengthen privacy protections by limiting when and how county agencies may collect gender-related information.

The legislation, sponsored by Councilmembers Rod Dembowski, Jorge L. Barón, Girmay Zahilay and Teresa Mosqueda, updates King County's data privacy code to ensure that gender identity and related information is only collected when strictly necessary for a legitimate agency purpose — or when explicitly required by law. The policy also prohibits the collection of gender assigned at birth when gender identity alone is sufficient.

The changes stem from recommendations made by the county’s Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation Task Force.

“This law ensures that King County treats its residents with respect and dignity in every county interaction,” Dembowski said. “Unnecessary collection of gender data can be invasive and harmful and this is crucial in making sure King County’s practices reflect our values. I extend my sincere gratitude to the task force for their work on these recommendations and look forward to working to further advance their hard work.”

In total, the new law requires agencies to fully justify the collection of gender, gender identity, or gender assigned at birth. It also mandates that all county forms that collect gender data include an “X” gender designation option – which matches Washington law and includes a range of gender identities – and requires agencies to disclose the purpose of collecting gender-related information.

ADDITIONAL QUOTES:

King County Councilmember Jorge L. Barón: “Over the past several years, we have seen that data can be wielded in powerful ways for better and for worse. Today’s legislation strikes a careful balance - it expands the options for gender designation, ensuring that our trans and non-binary neighbors can be reflected in program evaluations, and it also more tightly regulates the situations in which the County collects gender information to combat tracking and misuse. I was pleased to cosponsor the legislation and appreciate the Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation Inclusion Task Force for their work on this.”

King County Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda: “This ordinance is a common-sense safeguard to ensure we are doing all we can to defend our trans residents' privacy. The less of people’s personal data we collect and maintain, the safer everyone is from interference from other governments, and that is one of our primary responsibilities to residents of King County right now. I am proud to stand with my colleagues in passing this legislation.”

King County Councilmember Girmay Zahilay: “Unnecessary and intrusive data collection puts transgender, nonbinary, and gender-diverse people at potential risk, often without justification. This legislation is about respecting people's identities, protecting their privacy, and dismantling outdated systems that do not reflect the values of equity and dignity. I’m proud that King County is leading with courage and compassion to create safer, more affirming public services for all our residents.”

Marsha Botzer, former member of the Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation Inclusion Task Force: “Many thanks to the King County Council, particularly Councilmembers Rod Dembowski, Jorge L. Barón and the other sponsors and their staffs, for initiating this legislation. As a member on the task force assigned to research the project, together with the Council, we all discussed, debated, rewrote and revised for many months to prepare proposals for action.  With this approval today the Council has done the work, and in doing so they have also brought a little more good into the world.”

Matt Landers, former member of the GISOI task force: “I am proud that the County – through the Council, the Executive's Office, and staff members – have proactively continued this work to deliver and improve upon the recommendations of the GISOITF years after its conclusion. This ordinance accurately reflects the recommendations and nuances brought up by task force members around data collection related to the LGBTQ+ community, and I hope that it will result in a better interface between the County and its residents.”