Promoting Digital Privacy Technologies Act
The source supplies the latest action, but no lifecycle stage.
Latest action (12 May 2022): Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
What this bill does
H.R. 847, the Promoting Digital Privacy Technologies Act, directs federal science agencies to support research into "privacy enhancing technologies"—tools and techniques such as encryption methods, data anonymization, synthetic data generation, and other approaches designed to let organizations use data while reducing risks to individuals' privacy. The bill defines this term broadly and directs the National Science Foundation to fund competitive, merit-reviewed research in these areas, including workforce training and the development of freely available software tools. It also amends existing cybersecurity law to explicitly include privacy enhancing technologies within an existing computer and network security research program.
The bill primarily affects federal research agencies—the National Science Foundation, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the Office of Science and Technology Policy—by giving them new coordination and outreach responsibilities. It calls for these agencies to work with the Federal Trade Commission and private-sector and academic stakeholders to develop voluntary technical standards for privacy technologies, and requires a report to relevant congressional committees within three years on research progress and policy recommendations. Any personal information collected under the bill's research activities would be subject to existing federal human-subjects protection rules.
The House passed the bill on May 11, 2022, by a vote of 401-19. It has not been taken up or passed by the Senate, so it did not become law during that Congress.
Plain-English summary generated by Bill100 AI from the official record. Always verify against the source below.
Official summary
Promoting Digital Privacy Technologies Act
This bill directs the National Science Foundation to support merit-reviewed and competitively awarded research on privacy enhancing technologies.
The Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Program (NITRD) must coordinate with appropriate agencies to accelerate the development, deployment, and adoption of privacy enhancing technologies. The bill also requires NITRD to submit to Congress a report on the progress of research on privacy enhancing technologies and the development of specified voluntary resources.
Timeline
12 May 2022
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Common questions
- What does H.R. 847 do?
- H.R. 847, the Promoting Digital Privacy Technologies Act, directs federal science agencies to support research into "privacy enhancing technologies"—tools and techniques such as encryption methods, data anonymization, synthetic data generation, and other approaches designed to let organizations use data while reducing risks to individuals' privacy. The bill defines this term broadly and directs the National Science Foundation to fund competitive, merit-reviewed research in these areas, including workforce training and the development of freely available software tools. It also amends existing cybersecurity law to explicitly include privacy enhancing technologies within an existing computer and network security research program. The bill primarily affects federal research agencies—the National Science Foundation, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the Office of Science and Technology Policy—by giving them new coordination and outreach responsibilities. It calls for these agencies to work with the Federal Trade Commission and private-sector and academic stakeholders to develop voluntary technical standards for privacy technologies, and requires a report to relevant congressional committees within three years on research progress and policy recommendations. Any personal information collected under the bill's research activities would be subject to existing federal human-subjects protection rules. The House passed the bill on May 11, 2022, by a vote of 401-19. It has not been taken up or passed by the Senate, so it did not become law during that Congress.
- Has H.R. 847 become law?
- The source does not supply a confirmed lifecycle stage for H.R. 847. Check the latest action and official source below.
- Who sponsored H.R. 847?
- H.R. 847 was sponsored by Rep. Stevens, Haley M. [D-MI-11] (D-MI), with 1 cosponsor.
- What's the latest action on H.R. 847?
- Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. (12 May 2022).
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