June 11, 2024

Arlington, Va.— NEMA Director of Government Relations Peter Ferrell today issued the following statement in advance of the House Energy and Commerce Committee markup of the American Privacy Rights Act (APRA):

“Data privacy laws fluctuate from state to state, creating confusion in the marketplace, stifling innovation, and increasing liability. As companies struggle to comply with conflicting or confusing regulations across multiple jurisdictions, it is imperative that Congress enact a strong national privacy standard within the American Privacy Rights Act (APRA) that is bolstered with federal preemption and limited exemptions to provide uniformity among the states.

“We are proud to stand with our coalition partners at United for Privacy, and we share the view that uniformity in data privacy laws equals security and certainty for American consumers and businesses. The consequences of inaction around the creation of a federal privacy law, according to the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, will cost our economy more than $1 trillion over ten years, with an estimated $200 billion being paid by small businesses. 

“With increased interconnection and digitization, data usage standardization is a must. We look forward to continued collaboration with our coalition partners and Congress to develop a harmonized national standard which gives Americans the knowledge and comfort of true data privacy and enables American companies to operate in a singular regulatory environment. We urge the committee to amend APRA to fully preempt all current and future state privacy laws and to end the privacy patchwork once and for all.”