California Agency Girds for Fight Over Federal Data Privacy Bill

California’s privacy agency is mapping out a survival plan.

Facing the federal government’s threats to override state data protection, AI, and privacy laws and strip its enforcement powers, the California Privacy Protection Agency is dispatching key personnel to lobby members of Congress and coordinating with like-minded states. Recently unveiled federal privacy bills bring renewed preemption possibilities against state laws, including the California Consumer Privacy Act and Delete Act, and risk stifling the agency right as it aims to grow, add rulemaking, and ramp up enforcement.

The agency’s executive director Tom Kemp will travel to Washington this month to press ...