Comparing Recent Federal Data Privacy Bills

For the past several years, Congress has been locked in a debate over how to safeguard Americans’ data privacy. Each new Congress has put forth its own solution to this pervasive privacy problem, from the 117th Congress’ American Data Privacy and Protection Act in 2022, the 118th Congress’ American Privacy Rights Act in 2024, and now the 119th Congress’ SECURE Data Act, introduced earlier in 2026. As Congress works toward a federal data privacy standard, the United States continues to rely on a patchwork of sector-specific and state laws to govern data privacy, leading to ever-increasing compliance costs and confusion. Congress should act quickly to establish a bipartisan national privacy framework that builds on state consensus and preempts the state patchwork. The SECURE Data Act provides a strong foundation for that framework, and a look-back at previous bills demonstrates just how far the federal debate has come.