State Privacy Bills Gather Support

Comprehensive state privacy bills advanced in multiple states last week. The Montana Senate Business, Labor and Economic Affairs Committee voted 10-0 Friday for SB-384 after hearing support from Microsoft and other industry groups for the bill that’s modeled on Connecticut’s law (see 2302240031). The Senate must vote by this Friday to meet a legislative deadline to transmit bills to the opposite chamber. On Thursday, a Kentucky bill (SB-15) with a limited private right of action cleared the Senate Economic Development Committee, which heard testimony on the bill earlier this month (see 2202150068). It went to the Rules Committee Friday. Oklahoma’s HB-1030 cleared the House Government Modernization and Technology Committee in a 10-0 Tuesday vote. The House has until March 23 to send it to the Senate. In West Virginia Feb. 20, the House Technology and Infrastructure Committee advanced HB-3498 to the Finance Committee. Also last week, a Texas privacy bill that was HB-1844 was renumbered HB-4 because it’s now a priority bill. In New Mexico, the Senate Tax, Business and Transportation Committee on Friday cleared a children’s privacy bill similar to a California law (SB-319).