Alaska Privacy Bill Needs Work, Deputy AG Concedes

Alaska’s administration knows its comprehensive privacy bill needs “substantial additional work to find that right balance” between protecting consumers and not burdening small and medium-size businesses, said Alaska Deputy Attorney General Cori Mills at a hearing livestreamed Friday. Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R) proposed the bill. House Commerce Committee co-Chair Zack Fields (D) said he hoped for enforcement changes “to make sure it has some teeth,” noting HB-159 doesn’t include a broad private right of action, and another option is to set up and fund a specialized enforcement agency. Assistant Attorney General John Haley read through the text section by section, occasionally stopping to take questions, and didn’t get all the way through before the panel moved on. Fields said the committee will pick up the reading again at its next hearing, scheduled for Monday at 7:15 p.m. EDT. A Washington state House vote wasn’t expected to have occurred Friday on the Senate’s privacy bill (SB-5062), said a House Democrats spokesperson. That legislature ends session Sunday. There's disagreement over allowing private suits in Washington and Florida (see 2104220062).