Data Privacy Bill Unlikely to Hit Senate Floor in 2019, Lobbyists Say
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is unlikely to give privacy legislation floor time this year because it's not a high enough priority on a dwindling 2019 legislative calendar, lobbyists said. With about 90 days left this session, the Senate…
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Commerce Committee privacy working group hasn't released a draft bill. One communications industry lobbyist said McConnell’s office signaled floor time is doubtful. A tech lobbyist agreed, given McConnell's priorities this year, his standard operating procedure and time left. A privacy bill is highly unlikely to pass under unanimous consent, the tech lobbyist said, given the likelihood for amendments from members with outstanding items. “Absent a major event that would put pressure on Congress, I think we are looking at early next year as the best case scenario for enactment of a privacy bill,” another tech lobbyist said. “And each day that goes by makes that timeline less and less realistic.” Offices for the six privacy group members and McConnell didn’t comment Thursday. Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, expects a data privacy bill to be released this year.