Asking for More Than the Minimum Necessary - When & How You Can

West Virginia Executive Branch
Privacy Policy: Minimum Necessary and Limited Use

Question:

Can State agencies ask for more personal information, (PI), than is necessary?

Answer:

Sometimes we want to collect more personal information, (PI), than is strictly necessary. For example, we may want to offer citizens the opportunity to join a mailing list or take a survey. Or we may want to collect demographic information from individuals to better understand the people we serve.

The Minimum Necessary and Limited Use Policy allows you to collect information that is not necessary, as long as you follow these simple rules:

• The PI you ask for must serve a particular, legitimate government purpose.
• When you ask for the PI, you must clearly indicate that the response is voluntary. Individuals cannot be required to provide any PI beyond that which is necessary to complete a particular task or comply with law.
• You cannot collect any sensitive PI (such as medical information) unless you have appropriate safeguards in place and the program has been approved by your Privacy Officer.

Note: Your agency/bureau/department/division may have specific requirements – always check your policies and procedures. If you have questions, contact your Privacy Officer.