Congressman Brett Guthrie, Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Congressman Gus Bilirakis, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade, announced on May 27 a hearing to examine legislation aimed at establishing a federal comprehensive privacy and data security law.
The hearing, titled ‘Examining Legislation to Establish a Federal Comprehensive Privacy and Data Security Law,’ is scheduled for June 3 at 10:15 AM ET in the Rayburn House Office Building. The focus will be on H.R. 8413, known as the SECURE Data Act. The event will be open to both the public and press and will be livestreamed online.
Chairmen Guthrie and Bilirakis said, “Americans across the political spectrum want a national data privacy and data security standard with strong, enforceable protections. The SECURE Data Act follows the successful model many red, blue, and purple states have already enacted into law, putting our constituents in charge of their data and holding bad actors accountable. We look forward to this conversation about the bill’s critical safeguards that include provisions to defend Americans’ digital identities, while supporting innovation and job creators in every sector of the economy.”
Tyler R. Bridegan of Womble Bond Dickinson (US) LLP provided testimony highlighting his experience with state-level privacy enforcement in Texas. Bridegan said that over 20 state legislatures have established core consumer privacy principles which are now reflected in proposed federal legislation. He described tactics by some companies that collect sensitive personal information through devices such as phones or vehicles without clear consent from consumers. Bridegan noted that these practices would be unlawful under both current state laws and under provisions included in the SECURE Data Act.
Bridegan also discussed how most states require explicit consumer consent before processing sensitive personal data—a standard mirrored by the proposed federal act—and cited record recoveries for consumers under similar laws in Texas and Illinois. He said that granting enforcement authority to both the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general would drive compliance among companies.
The hearing aims to further discuss these issues as Congress considers moving forward with comprehensive federal privacy protections.
