A Democratic bill with no cosponsors
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill establishes the Data Protection Agency as an independent entity in the executive branch to protect individual privacy and oversee personal data practices. The Agency is tasked with enforcing federal privacy laws, limiting the collection and sharing of personal data, and preventing privacy harms and discrimination. It grants the Agency broad administrative, investigative, and rulemaking powers, including the authority to issue subpoenas and civil investigative demands. Large data aggregators are subject to regular supervision, risk assessments, and impact evaluations regarding their data handling practices. Additionally, the legislation creates specific funding mechanisms, including a Civil Penalty Fund to compensate victims of data privacy violations.
Yes· 3 of 31
- Scored +10
Does this protect people from being watched or searched?
The act establishes comprehensive individual rights to access, correct, limit processing of, and request deletion of personal data.
- Scored +10
Does this give people more control over their personal data?
The bill creates a dedicated Data Protection Agency with broad rulemaking and enforcement powers to guarantee individuals rights over their personal data and prevent privacy harms.
- Scored +9
Does this put more rules on large technology companies?
The legislation establishes rigorous oversight, risk assessments, and supervision mechanisms for large data aggregators and companies handling substantial personal data.
The opposite
- Scored -4
Would business owners be better off under this?
Smaller businesses and data aggregators face substantial administrative burdens, compliance costs, and reporting rules under the new regulatory framework.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Civil Rights Protection: Section 101(b)(3) and Section 102(b)(2)(A) establish an Office of Civil Rights within the Agency to ensure that personal data collection and processing are non-discriminatory and to promote equal opportunity in areas like housing, employment, and healthcare. This protects individuals from algorithmic bias and discriminatory automated decisions.
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Centralized Complaint System: Section 102(b)(2)(C) requires the establishment of a centralized toll-free number, website, and public database for consumers to track and file complaints regarding personal data handling. This makes it easier for everyday people to report privacy violations and hold companies accountable.
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Victim Compensation Fund: Section 105(a)(4) establishes a Civil Penalty Fund to collect fines levied against violators and directly distribute payments to identified victims of privacy breaches and unlawful data practices. This provides a direct avenue for financial restitution for affected individuals.
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Expanded Consumer Rights: Section 301(4) directs the Agency to issue rules guaranteeing individuals the right to access, correct, limit the processing of, and request the deletion of their personal data. This gives citizens greater direct control over their personal information.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Regulatory Compliance Costs Passed to Consumers: Section 105(a)(1) allows the Agency to collect assessments, fees, and charges from data aggregators with large revenues or massive data-collection operations. Companies forced to pay these fees and comply with heavy oversight may pass these increased operating costs down to everyday consumers through higher prices for goods and services.
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Burdens on Small-to-Mid Sized Entities: Section 202 and Section 301 impose extensive auditing, risk assessment, and reporting rules on entities that meet data-collection thresholds. Smaller businesses trying to grow might struggle to meet these complex administrative and technological burdens, reducing market competition and consumer choices.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would children be better off under this? — The bill establishes heightened penalties and protective measures specifically for the personal data of children and teens under 17. Would Black Americans be better off under this? — Civil rights provisions combat algorithmic bias and discriminatory automated decisions in housing, employment, and healthcare. Would Hispanic Americans be better off under this? — Multilingual complaint systems and civil rights oversight help protect Hispanic Americans from discriminatory data processing. Would immigrants be better off under this? — Multilingual accessibility for complaints and protections regarding citizenship status protect immigrant populations from predatory data aggregation. Would LGBTQ people be better off under this? — Protected class definitions explicitly include sexual orientation and gender identity, shielding the LGBTQ community from discriminatory data practices. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — The Office of Civil Rights within the Agency works to prevent discriminatory data practices in housing, employment, and credit that disproportionately impact low-income individuals. Would people in middle age be better off under this? — Middle-aged individuals gain robust rights to control, correct, and delete their personal data collected by large aggregators. Would people with disabilities be better off under this? — The legislation provides specialized protections for people with disabilities against algorithmic discrimination and exploitative profiling. Would people over 65 be better off under this? — The legislation explicitly lists the elderly as a vulnerable group requiring protection from exploitative profiling and high-risk data practices. Would women be better off under this? — Civil rights oversight prevents discriminatory profiling that can adversely affect women in areas such as insurance, credit, and employment. Would people in their twenties and thirties be better off under this? — Young adults benefit significantly from expanded digital privacy rights and protections against invasive consumer scoring and profiling. Would Asian Americans be better off under this? — Protections against disparate impact and discriminatory profiling benefit Asian Americans navigating digital credit and employment systems. Would men be better off under this? — Men benefit generally from increased data minimization rules and enhanced control over personal information. Would middle-income households be better off under this? — Everyday consumers gain centralized complaint tracking and victim restitution funds funded by civil penalties levied against privacy violators. Would Native Americans be better off under this? — The civil rights mandate helps safeguard Native Americans from targeted exploitation and biased data aggregators. Would retired people be better off under this? — Retirees benefit from protections tailored against the exploitation of vulnerable populations by data brokers and automated profiling systems. Would people in rural areas be better off under this? — Rural residents receive equal access to centralized federal privacy protections and multilingual complaint mechanisms. Would students be better off under this? — Students benefit from heightened privacy protections and restrictions on the collection and misuse of young individuals' personal data. Would people in cities be better off under this? — Urban residents targeted by large-scale data aggregators gain clear channels to file complaints and seek restitution. Would veterans be better off under this, taking everything together? — The bill accounts for veteran status as a sensitive category in high-risk data practices, providing additional safeguards against exploitation. Would white Americans be better off under this? — All citizens receive stronger baseline privacy rights and protections against unauthorized data sharing and tracking. Would business owners be better off under this? — Smaller businesses and data aggregators face substantial administrative burdens, compliance costs, and reporting rules under the new regulatory framework.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this protect people from being watched or searched? — The act establishes comprehensive individual rights to access, correct, limit processing of, and request deletion of personal data. Does this give the federal government more power? — The bill creates a powerful new federal executive agency with extensive investigative, subpoena, and rulemaking authorities over data practices. Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The legislation mandates public reporting, accessible databases for complaints, and regular reports to Congress regarding privacy enforcement and agency activities.
- Education And Technology
- Does this give people more control over their personal data? — The bill creates a dedicated Data Protection Agency with broad rulemaking and enforcement powers to guarantee individuals rights over their personal data and prevent privacy harms. Does this put more rules on large technology companies? — The legislation establishes rigorous oversight, risk assessments, and supervision mechanisms for large data aggregators and companies handling substantial personal data.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this narrow racial gaps in how people are treated? — The creation of an Office of Civil Rights within the Agency helps prevent and remediate algorithmic bias and discriminatory automated decisions based on protected classes. Does this expand the rights of people with disabilities? — The legislation protects vulnerable populations, including individuals with disabilities, from exploitation and discriminatory profiling in data practices. Does this narrow the gap between how men and women are treated? — The Agency's mandate to combat unlawful discrimination in data processing provides protections against biased automated systems affecting protected classes.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this give people more protection from unfair business practices? — The bill establishes the Data Protection Agency to enforce privacy laws, limit personal data collection, and protect individuals from discriminatory automated decisions and privacy harms.
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Does this better protect the country from computer attacks? — By setting strict standards for data handling, supervision, and risk assessments for large data aggregators, the bill enhances overall digital security practices.
- 9/29/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
- Introduced in Senate