Senate Bill 169 aims to enhance privacy protections for judicial officers in Wisconsin by amending existing laws related to the disclosure of personal information. The bill introduces a requirement for written requests for privacy to be notarized and specifies that these requests must describe the records believed to contain personal information with reasonable particularity. It also clarifies that a judicial officer must send the request to a designated officer of a government agency, rather than just any representative. Additionally, the bill modifies the definition of "publicly post or display" to exclude direct communications with judicial officers and their immediate family members, while allowing for exceptions where disclosure is mandated by law.

Furthermore, the bill provides liability protections for government agencies and their employees against accountability for violations of privacy protections, unless such violations are intentional or reckless. It also includes provisions for the register of deeds and land records websites, allowing for limited third-party access to protected documents under specific conditions. The bill repeals certain existing provisions and makes several amendments to ensure that judicial officers can opt out of having their names and personal information displayed on public-facing land records websites, while still allowing for the display of home addresses under certain circumstances.

Statutes affected:
Text as Enrolled: 19.36(15), 19.36, 757.07(5)(b), 757.07