Pelosi Flags California’s Concerns With National Privacy Bill

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) says she’s working to address California’s concerns with a bipartisan bill that would give American consumers cross-sector data privacy protections.

The American Data Protection and Privacy Act (H.R. 8152) has faced pushback from California lawmakers who worry it may undermine their state law. The California Privacy Protection Agency, tasked with enforcing the state law, and Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) also have voiced concern with the federal privacy proposal.

Pelosi cited a new proposal governing children’s digital data that cleared the state legislature this week as another example of California’s landmark protections.

“With so much innovation happening in our state, it is imperative that California continues offering and enforcing the nation’s strongest privacy rights,” Pelosi said in a statement Thursday.

Pressure is building on Congress to pass a privacy law as individual states, led by California, adopt their own measures. The result has been a patchwork of consumer rights and compliance obligations for businessesto parse.

Pelosi said she’ll continue to work with House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) on responding to the state’s concerns. The committee approved the bill in July, teeing it up for a potential floor vote after lawmakers return from their summer recess.

The measure would require companies to collect the least amount of data possible to provide services. It also includes special protections for kids and allocates enforcement responsibilities to the Federal Trade Commission.

—With assistance by Maria Curi