This year’s consumer data privacy bill, Senate Bill 358, authored by Sen. Liz Brown (R-Fort Wayne), appears to now be dead. In short, SB 358 gives consumers various options for understanding what personal data companies have and how they use it, while giving companies guardrails for protecting data they use in their business operations.

After tensions rose in the House Commerce, Small Business and Economic Development Committee last week, the bill seemed in serious jeopardy. While there are various theories floating around about the source of the bill’s demise, the simplest explanation may be the easiest to understand: It could cause more trouble than it’s worth. It was a surprise to many observers, locally and nationally, that SB 358 got as far as it did. Unlike Tennessee, where a similar bill has been a year in the making, SB 358 underwent major reconstructive surgery just to get through the Senate. Then in the House, it became a vehicle for some lawmakers to debate sensitive social issues like child pornography and the pros and cons of social media platforms.

Rather than bringing those discussions to the House floor in the form of second reading amendments, it seems the “powers that be” decided it’s best that the bill die. Because the Senate passed the bill, it is possible that we’ll see its language reappear in another “germane” bill, but that seems unlikely at this point.

The Chamber was neutral, trending to support, with the final version of the legislation.

Resource: Adam Berry at (317) 264-6892 or email: aberry@indianachamber.com