This bill, known as the HUD Data Privacy Act of 2026, restricts how the Department of Housing and Urban Development can share personal information with other agencies or third parties. It mandates that data collected from individuals receiving federal housing assistance be used solely to verify their eligibility for benefits or to determine the amount of aid they receive. The law includes specific exceptions for sharing deidentified data for research, ongoing criminal investigations, or preventing immediate threats to life, while explicitly prohibiting the use of this information for immigration enforcement purposes.
The SECURE Data Act establishes a comprehensive federal privacy framework that grants consumers specific rights to access, correct, delete, and opt out of the sale of their personal data, while requiring companies to provide clear privacy notices and implement reasonable data security measures. It directly affects large businesses and data brokers that process significant amounts of consumer information, mandating that these entities obtain explicit consent for sensitive data and prohibiting discrimination against individuals who exercise their privacy rights. The legislation creates a registration system for data brokers, allows for enforcement actions by the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general, and preempts conflicting state laws to ensure a uniform national standard.
This bill, known as the Email Privacy Act, amends existing federal laws to clarify how information about stored emails can be shared and how government agencies can access email content. It requires internet service providers to use the term "disclose" rather than "divulge" when sharing subscriber data and expands the definition of who can receive this information to include agents of the customer. The legislation also changes rules for government warrants by allowing providers to notify customers about the receipt of a warrant unless the government requests otherwise, while maintaining exceptions for communications made public by the sender. Additionally, the bill removes a specific time limit that previously required a warrant for emails stored for less than 180 days, ensuring consistent warrant requirements for all stored communications.
This bill, known as the Campaign Finance Transparency Act, requires political committees in federal elections to collect specific personal information from donors using online credit or debit cards, including card verification codes and billing ZIP codes. It also mandates that the name on the payment card must match the donor's name and bans the acceptance of contributions made with gift cards. Additionally, the legislation lowers the reporting threshold for campaign contributions from $200 to any amount and prohibits individuals from helping others make donations in someone else's name. These rules aim to increase donor transparency by making it harder to conceal the identity of contributors while establishing clear duties for committees to refund non-compliant payments.
The No Rigged Grocery Prices Act prohibits grocery stores and third-party delivery services from using a customer's personal data to raise prices for specific individuals. While the law allows for standard promotions, loyalty rewards, and objective cost differences like shipping fees, it bans dynamic pricing that targets consumers based on their personal information. Retailers must also inform customers if item availability changes or if prices are calculated by weight, and delivery services need explicit permission before swapping out grocery items. Violations of these rules would be treated as unfair business practices enforceable by the Federal Trade Commission. Additionally, the bill requires the Department of Labor to report on how the adoption of electronic shelf labels affects employment at grocery stores.
The Surface Transportation Research and Development Act of 2026 updates federal programs to extend their funding periods through fiscal year 2031 and establishes a new Transportation Statistics Coordination Council to oversee data collection across the Department of Transportation. The bill also creates a study on the safety impacts of new headlamp technologies and requires a strategy to increase the use of reclaimed asphalt in road construction. Additionally, it expands rail research to address safety challenges in modern commuter and freight systems while ensuring data standards remain consistent.
The Guidelines for Use, Access, and Responsible Disclosure of Financial Data Act strengthens privacy protections for consumers by amending the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act to require financial institutions to limit data collection to what is necessary, provide clearer privacy notices, and offer new rights for customers to access or delete their personal information. Key provisions include requiring explicit opt-in consent for sensitive data like biometric information, restricting how third parties can use consumer login credentials, and mandating that institutions disclose how they use artificial intelligence in processing financial data. The bill also establishes a right for former customers to request deletion of their data within 45 days and requires regulators to consider the impact of rules on smaller financial institutions with $15 billion or less in assets.
The "No ICE in Schools Act" proposes to prevent educational agencies and institutions from releasing student records or other personal information for immigration enforcement purposes. It directly affects schools and colleges receiving federal funds, as well as students whose data might be sought by immigration enforcement. The bill amends existing law to prohibit federal funds from being provided to any educational entity that releases such information without specific written consent from the student's parents. This parental consent must detail the records, reasons for release, and recipient, with a copy provided to the parents.
This bill requires large AI companies and organizations to disclose detailed information about their foundation models, including training data sources, model performance, and potential risks, before and during the model's use. The Federal Trade Commission will create specific rules outlining what information must be submitted to the agency and made publicly available, with exemptions for fully open-source models and special provisions for small businesses. Covered entities are defined as AI providers with over 10 million monthly users, significant computing power usage, or models that could pose security or safety risks, while the FTC will enforce compliance as unfair business practices.
This bill prohibits businesses from using automated systems to set different prices for food and groceries based on surveillance data about individual consumers, such as their browsing history or personal information. It allows exceptions for discounts based on reasonable costs, membership programs, or broad group categories like students and seniors, provided the rules are clearly disclosed and applied uniformly. The Federal Trade Commission would enforce these rules, while states and individuals can also sue for violations, seeking damages of at least $3,000 per violation.
