Pelosi rejects bipartisan privacy bill

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) does not support the most recent federal data privacy bill in its current form, she announced Thursday.

Why it matters: The proposal has won bipartisan support and is farther along than any other recent privacy legislation, but without Pelosi's backing, lawmakers working to pass such a law face a much more uphill battle.

State of play: The bipartisan American Data Privacy and Protection Act (ADPPA) was approved on a 53-2 vote by the House Energy & Commerce Committee in July, setting it up for a possible vote on the House floor, as Axios previously reported.

• Criticism from tech companies, disagreement over whether a federal bill should pre-empt existing state data privacy laws and disagreements between the House and Senate have tripped up efforts to pass such a bill for years.

What they're saying: Pelosi said California Gov. Gavin Newsom and others tell her the federal attempt does not "guarantee the same essential consumer protections" as California law.

• "With so much innovation happening in our state, it is imperative that California continues offering and enforcing the nation’s strongest privacy rights," she said in a release. "California’s landmark privacy laws and the new kids age-appropriate design bill, both of which received unanimous and bipartisan support in both chambers, must continue to protect Californians — and states must be allowed to address rapid changes in technology."
• “In the days ahead," she added, "we will continue to work with Chairman [Frank] Pallone to address California’s concerns.”