In late May, the State Auditor’s Office (SAO) sent Data Sharing Agreements (DSAs) to every Washington city in response to the passage of SB 5432.

SB 5432, which goes into effect on July 25, creates new requirements for state agencies including requiring state agencies to have DSAs in place with all outside organizations with whom they share data. This includes city governments who exchange data with the SAO during audits.

Going forward, cities will need to sign a DSA with the SAO. The SAO has stated they will not start an audit without a DSA in place. The SAO is willing to work on language included in the DSA that was sent to cities in May. Cities wanting to amend their DSA language should work directly with their audit manager. Signed DSAs will remain in effect for three years.