Committee backs bill to let public servants request data brokers stop sharing personal information; criminal penalties stripped

The House Judiciary Committee voted to report House Bill 1822, a measure designed to give certain public servants, their staff and family members the right to request that data brokers stop disclosing specified personal information.

Committee counsel summarized the bill as protecting “the personal data of certain public servants, their staff, and family from disclosure of private data disclosure by private data brokers.” Counsel said a “covered person” may request in writing that a data broker cease disclosure; a principal person’s information may be protected for life and associated persons’ information for up to 10 years. Counsel further said “a data broker has 10 days to comply with a request, and there are civil and criminal consequences for noncompliance.”

Chairman Briggs offered Amendment A01889, which “strips out the criminal penalties and gives data brokers 20 business days to comply,” according to committee counsel. Briggs told members he hoped the change would make the measure simpler to pass while allowing further conversations on scope as the bill moves through the process.

Chairman Kaufman urged continued conversation and said he would vote no on the amendment because of concerns, but the amendment passed. The chair announced that Democrats would vote yes on the amendment and Republicans would vote no; the clerk later reported House Bill 1822 as passing the committee as amended.

Briggs said the intent is to protect home addresses and other information that could facilitate political violence or targeting of officials and that he wants to continue discussions about the appropriate class of people covered.

The committee did not provide legislative text in the hearing beyond the counsel’s summary, and several members requested further engagement about scope, covered persons and operational details for requests and enforcement.