Butler County News

HARRISBURG – Rep. Stephenie Scialabba (R-Butler) announced the successful passing of a significant data privacy bill in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. The bill, named House Bill 1201, aims to give Pennsylvanians more control over their personal data usage and sales.

"This was a big initiative of mine when I came to the House. I am very pleased to see House Bill 1201 finally pass the House of Representatives," expressed Scialabba. Drawing on her expertise as a data privacy attorney, she added, "I am ecstatic to bring Pennsylvania’s privacy laws into the 21st century. We should not be falling behind other states in this regard. This bill will provide Pennsylvanians with much-needed, commonsense and long-overdue privacy rights over their personal data."

Collaborating with Rep. Ed Neilson, the bill's co-author, Scialabba highlighted the bipartisan effort that led to the bill's passage. Neilson remarked, "It was great to work in a bipartisan manner with Rep. Scialabba to pass House Bill 1201. House Bill 1201 is framework legislation that will protect Pennsylvanians and would not have come together without Rep. Scialabba’s expertise in data privacy."

The legislation sets guidelines for for-profit businesses operating in Pennsylvania, mandating transparency and control over personal information processing. Consumers will have rights to know, correct inaccuracies, delete, and opt-out of sharing their personal data for various purposes, including targeted advertising and the sale of personal data.

The bill now moves to the Senate for further review and consideration. Once enacted, businesses meeting specific revenue thresholds will be accountable for complying with consumer requests related to personal data within a specified timeframe.

"In a bipartisan manner, we were able to pass the legislation. The vote was quite convincing and passed overwhelmingly," added Neilson, emphasizing the broad support for the bill within the House.

The passage of House Bill 1201 signifies a significant step towards enhancing data privacy rights for Pennsylvanians, ensuring their personal information is handled responsibly and transparently.