The bipartisan proposal was introduced in April 2024 by Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), and Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA).
The bill underwent controversial revisions in June 2024, removing several consumer protections under pressure from House Republicans, including a section about civil rights.
[3] Proponents of broad data privacy legislation argue that it provides a more effective and durable solution to the problems many narrower bills attempt to address through focus on specific companies like TikTok.
[20] The bipartisan proposal was introduced in April 2024 by two Washington lawmakers, Senator Maria Cantwell and Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers.
[23] When the markup date arrived, the session was canceled amid reports that Republican leaders had signaled they would not permit the bill to move forward regardless of committee decisions.
[24][25] The American Privacy Rights Act would create limitations on the kinds of data companies can collect about their users.
[12][21] APRA expands some of the California law's enforcement mechanisms, enabling not just the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to take legal action against violators, but also state attorneys general and private citizens.
Other sections were added or expanded, such as new "Privacy By Design" requirements, additional obligations for data brokers, and a provision to allow users to request humans make "consequential decisions" rather than algorithms.
[22] McMorris Rodgers' Democratic counterpart on the House committee, Frank Pallone of New Jersey, called the draft "very strong" but said he wanted to see greater protections applied to children.
[13] Representative Jan Schakowsky, Ranking Member on the committee's Innovation, Data, and Commerce subcommittee, expressed optimism about the proposal and cited "an urgency that's felt to get this done".
[6] The digital rights advocacy organization Electronic Frontier Foundation was positive about the basic components of the bill, but presented many ways in which the bill should be strengthened or modified to increase consumer protections, including allowing states to pass more strict laws and limiting the extent to which companies can share data with the government.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise named the private right of action as a point of contention, which remained after the changes.