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Committee flags recurring 'consumer' vs. 'individual' phrasing differences
Summary
Staff told conferees the House often uses 'consumer' while the Senate uses 'individual' (the House sometimes intends to include nonresidents); the committee asked staff to recommend where each term should apply across the bill.
Members repeatedly identified the "consumer" versus "individual" distinction as a pervasive difference between the chamber texts and asked staff to work offline to recommend uniform usage. Staff explained that the House sometimes uses "individual" to cover people who come into the Commonwealth from outside the state, while the Senate often uses "consumer." "The Senate used consumer where the House used individual," staff said, and members asked counsel to return with a recommended approach for different sections.
Committee chairs and members agreed this terminology affects many definitions and substantive sections — from geolocation to health-related data — so staff were asked to annotate each occurrence and propose consistent language for the committee to review at the next meeting.
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