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 is scheduled for June 3 at 10:15 AM ET in the Rayburn House Office Building and will focus on H.R. 8413, known as the SECURE Data Act.
In their statement, 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.”
The committee highlighted that twenty-two states have enacted consumer privacy laws with similar core structures involving definitions, rights such as access or deletion of personal data, obligations for companies handling consumer information, and opt-out options for activities like targeted advertising or profiling. The SECURE Data Act seeks to extend these rights nationwide by grounding its framework in existing state laws.
Kate Goodloe, Managing Director at Business Software Alliance (BSA), testified before the subcommittee that “the United States needs a national privacy law built for the modern economy — one that pairs strong consumer protections with clear rules that limit how companies can use consumers’ personal data.” Goodloe also said that “the SECURE Data Act adopts core rights created by 22 state laws and extends them to consumers nationwide — giving all American consumers the right to access, correct, delete, and port their personal data. It would also give consumers nationwide the right to opt out of certain activities like targeted advertising.”
The hearing is open to both public attendance and press coverage. Further details are available through committee staff contacts provided in the announcement.
