Businesses Would Get 1 Year to Comply With Amended Pa. Privacy Bill

A Pennsylvania Senate panel delayed the effective date of a comprehensive privacy bill to one year after it’s enacted. That would be six months later than proposed in a previous version of HB-1201, which unanimously cleared the Communications Committee with the amendment at a livestreamed hearing Wednesday. The change would “give businesses enough time to make the appropriate process changes to comply,” said Chair Tracy Pennycuick (R). “Additionally, the amendment clarifies that a private right of action is not open in conjunction with any other law.” The bill had already said that nothing in it “shall be construed as providing the basis for a private right of action for a violation of the provisions of this act,” with enforcement to be conducted solely by the Pennsylvania attorney general. Sponsor Rep. Ed Neilson (D) said Pennsylvania should pass the “bipartisan” measure to join nearly 20 other states with privacy bills. "We are falling behind the other states that are doing it all across the country." The bill will likely need approval from the Appropriations Committee before it can go to the Senate floor, a Pennycuick spokesperson said. The House voted 139-62 last March to pass HB-1201 (see 2403190009). Microsoft supported Pennsylvania’s privacy bill last year (see 2309060060).