The Bill Spill- May 2024

Virginia S.B. 361

Senate Bill 361 is a consumer data protection act designed specifically to protect children’s privacy. The bill prohibits companies from using child’s data. This is defined as selling or using the child’s data, including for targeted ads or campaigns. A child’s data can only be processed by others if they receive parental consent. Once consent is given, companies can only use the data if it is necessary to provide the service the child is using. However, they must provide reasoning behind the data collection and cannot track geolocation data unless it is necessary for the service. If they collect geolocation data, companies must signal to the child their geolocation data is being collected for the entire duration it is in effect. 

The bill had seen a lot of exchanges between the Senate and the House before landing on the governor’s desk last week. The bill was signed by Governor Youngkin and will go into effect in January 2025.

 H.R. 7854—Federal Bill

The House of Representatives has recently introduced a bill titled The Unaccompanied Minor Placement Notification Act. This bill will help schools and agencies keep track of unaccompanied minors by requiring the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) through Health and Human Services (HHS) to notify school districts and child welfare agencies of when an unaccompanied minor is placed in their establishment. With enough notice, this will change the way schools and agencies prepare to receive unaccompanied minors and as a result, prevent the likelihood of child labor and abuse. 

The bill is still in its early stages and has been referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.