California Senate Panel Backs CCPA Employer Exemption

The California Senate Judiciary Committee supported carving out employers from the California Consumer Privacy Act, but at a Tuesday hearing amended AB-25 to sunset that exemption Jan. 1, 2021. The amendment means “a more narrowly tailored response is necessary within the next year otherwise the law reverts back to its current form,” said committee bill analysis dated Monday. The Assembly-passed bill had enough votes to clear the committee and would go next to Senate Appropriations. The committee decided not to weigh AB-1416, which would allow companies to override consumers’ requests to opt out of sale of their data if it’s for government and fraud-detection purposes. The Judiciary hearing continued into early evening. Consumer privacy groups lined up Monday against AB-25, AB-1416 and three other industry-backed CCPA changes that were up for vote in the committee (see 1907080047). Privacy advocates “beat the odds” when CCPA passed last year, Californians for Consumer Privacy Chair Alastair Mactaggart said Monday. “But make no mistake: last year’s David-versus-Goliath fight for consumer privacy rights continues.”