TechNet Statement on Upcoming Privacy Hearing in the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Innovation, Data, and Commerce

Washington, D.C. - TechNet, the national, bipartisan network of innovation economy CEOs and senior executives, today issued the following statement, attributed to President and CEO Linda Moore, in advance of Wednesday's scheduled privacy hearing in the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Innovation, Data, and Commerce.

"The need for a comprehensive and preemptive federal privacy law has never been greater. Since 2018, 211 comprehensive privacy bills have been considered across 46 states, with 18 states passing different, often conflicting privacy laws. This growing patchwork of state laws is confusing consumers and having a chilling effect on our economy. A 50-state privacy patchwork would cost the American economy more than $1 trillion over 10 years, with $200 billion being paid by small businesses.

"Now is the time for Congress to act and pass a bipartisan federal data privacy law that ensures everyone, no matter their age or where they live, has the right to access, correct, and delete their data, mitigates abusive lawsuits against small businesses, and provides companies certainty about their responsibilities so they can spend their resources on creating jobs rather than paying legal bills.

"We thank House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell (D-WA) for their bipartisan leadership in authoring this federal privacy law. We will continue to work with lawmakers from both parties to improve the bill and pass a preemptive federal privacy law."

TechNet has been a national leader in calling for federal privacy legislation. TechNet's initiative, United for Privacy, brings together a unified, cross-industry voice underscoring the urgent need to pass a federal data privacy law.

Background:

• Since 2018, 211 comprehensive privacy bills have been considered across 46 states.
• In 2024, 13 states have already introduced 22 comprehensive privacy bills.
• Eighteen state legislatures have passed comprehensive privacy bills: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Virginia.
• A 50-state patchwork of privacy laws would cost the U.S. economy more than $1 trillion over the next 10 years, with more than $200 billion being paid by American small businesses.
• The average privacy spend of small businesses (50-249 employees) in 2023 was $1.5 million, up from $1.1 million in 2020.
• More than 83 percent of all voters, including 86 percent of Democrats and 81 percent of Republicans, ranked privacy legislation as a "top" or "important" Congressional priority.
• The TechNet-led United for Privacy coalition held an event last summer on Capitol Hill that brought together lawmakers, small business owners, and organizations representing the entire U.S. economy to discuss the need for a federal data privacy law. You can watch the event here.