Business Roundtable Statement for the Record for Hearing on “Examining Legislation to Establish a Federal Comprehensive Privacy and Data Security Law”

Dear Chairman Guthrie and Chairman Bilirakis:

On behalf of Business Roundtable, thank you for the opportunity to submit this statement for the record for the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade’s hearing titled “Examining Legislation to Establish a Federal Comprehensive Privacy and Data Security Law.” Business Roundtable is an association of more than 200 chief executive officers (CEOs) of America’s leading companies, representing every sector of the U.S. economy. BRT CEOs lead U.S.-based companies that support one in four American jobs and almost a quarter of U.S. gross domestic product (GDP).

Business Roundtable strongly supports enactment of a clear national data privacy standard that gives all Americans the same rights and protections, no matter where they live or travel. A single national privacy standard ensures that privacy protections are consistent across state lines, while making data practices easier to understand and more transparent. It also reduces the uncertainty and compliance burden that employers, innovators, and businesses face when trying to navigate multiple, sometimes conflicting, state requirements.

The SECURE Data Act (H.R. 8413) strikes the right balance. It provides consumers with meaningful control over their information, draws on proven, bipartisan state privacy frameworks and allows innovative and beneficial uses of data while protecting consumers. It also empowers the Federal Trade Commission to enforce consumer privacy law while preserving an enforcement role for state attorneys general. Most importantly, it fully preempts state laws and ends the confusing and harmful patchwork approach that currently undermines clarity and predictability.

The need for a national privacy law is widely recognized by the public on a bipartisan basis. Recent surveys show that 86% of Americans believe data privacy should be governed by federal law and 73% support federal preemption, including large majorities across party lines. By contrast, only 14% of Americans believe data privacy should be regulated solely by the states. These figures underscore the breadth of support for a comprehensive federal framework that delivers consistent protections for consumers nationwide.

The SECURE Data Act is also built on effective and proven state privacy laws already enacted in Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Iowa, Kentucky, Texas, Utah, and Virginia, to name a few. Across the country, lawmakers from both parties have repeatedly demonstrated that meaningful privacy legislation can pass with broad bipartisan support. In total, 1,119 Democrats and 1,449 Republicans across 20 state legislatures have voted for data privacy laws used to develop the SECURE Data Act.

The SECURE Data Act offers a practical path forward and is good for American businesses and consumers. By creating clear, consistent rules, Congress can protect privacy rights, support innovation and eliminate the compliance challenges caused by an increasingly fragmented regulatory landscape.

Business Roundtable thanks the Committee for holding this important hearing and asks the Committee to act quickly to advance the SECURE Data Act.

Sincerely,

Amy Shuart

Vice President, Technology & Innovation

Business Roundtable