House Bill 1155, My Health My Data, passed the Senate last Friday and now is before the House for consideration of concurrence with the Senate amendments—which will likely happen soon. The Governor has already indicated he intends to sign the bill when he receives it.
WR has been working diligently to clarify the broad legislation to help our members implement and comply with the provisions. Unfortunately, as the bill is currently written, retailers are greatly concerned about their ability to implement or comply with the requirements fully; exposing them to potential legal action.
More concerning is the confusion and angst the bill will create for consumers and retail employees. The new law will require opt-in consent by shoppers for anything that can be considered “health-related,” which includes millions of items and services. Retailers will likely be forced to have customers opt-in for all purchases to protect themselves.
Retail workers on the front line will bear the brunt of consumer frustration as they question the new, repetitive, and irritating opt-in requirements. Sadly, consumers in Washington will not receive the same level of service as they do in other states. Special deals and discounts on products and services will become the exception—not the norm—for customers that don’t choose to take part by opting in.
WR is concerned that the unintended consequences of HB 1155 far outweigh the perceived benefits of the legislation. HB 1155 must be fixed before it becomes law.
