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NCSL Updates
NCSL Comments on House Consumer Privacy Measure
NCSL strongly urges Congress to avoid preemption of state privacy laws when developing comprehensive data privacy legislation. NCSL’s comments, submitted to the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s newly formed privacy working group, call on Congress to develop and adopt legislation that sets a federal floor, not a ceiling, for critical consumer privacy rights. NCSL also asserts that industry arguments about “fragmentation” caused by differing state laws are “overstated,” and highlights considerable alignment in state privacy legislation across the country. Lastly, NCSL notes the capacity of state policymakers to act more rapidly and nimbly than the federal government to address technological advancements, which is crucial for safeguarding both consumers and industry. Read more
The Executive Action Edge
Stay up to date on the evolving presidential action landscape with NCSL’s new executive action tracker.
Congressional Update
House Passes Bill Requiring Citizenship to Vote
The House passed the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act on April 10 by a vote of 220-208. The bill would amend the National Voter Registration Act to require documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote or to re-register if a citizen moves to a different state. Prospective voters must present proof of citizenship in the form of a passport or birth certificate in person. REAL ID’s may be acceptable only if they denote U.S. citizenship. The bill would require states to create a process for applicants to submit other evidence showing U.S. citizenship if a passport or birth certificate cannot be provided. Mail-in voter registration would not confer the applicant’s registration unless proof of citizenship is presented to the appropriate election official by the state voter registration deadline. The bill’s in-person requirement would preempt election law in 42 states, the District of Columbia, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The legislation also contains a private right of action that any person could bring against election officials for noncompliance with the bill’s provisions and would authorize the Department of Justice to pursue possible criminal penalties. Read NCSL’s breakdown.
House Energy and Commerce Committee Approves TAKE IT DOWN Act
The NCSL-supported bill (HR 633) would ban and criminalize the spread of nonconsensual, sexually exploitative images online, as well as require platforms to remove images within 48 hours of notice.
The measure, approved by committees in both chambers, now moves to a floor vote in each body. It is expected to pass and be signed by the president. Read more