CONSUMER PROTECTION AND CYBERSECURITY LEGISLATION CLEARS SENATE FISCAL COMMITTEE
SACRAMENTO – Today, the Senate Committee on Appropriations approved five bills authored by Assemblymember Ed Chau (D–Monterey Park). The bills include efforts to safeguard consumer information from data breaches, to implement reasonable regulations for the use of digital pills, to require that retailers carry out age verification checks, to protect consumers from false and deceptive spam emails, and to bolster California’s cybersecurity and election infrastructure.
“I am ecstatic to have these bills move forward because they address very important issues, such as the repercussions dealt from the Equifax data breach, keeping personal health information confidential, and ensuring that retailers take reasonable steps to prevent children from getting their hands on items they are not legally allowed to purchase, such as weapons,” said Assemblymember Ed Chau. “These bills will also protect consumers from deceptive email advertisements, and enhance the state’s election system to guard against future cyber threats.”
• AB 1859 – would require Consumer Credit Reporting Agencies, such as Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion, to patch vulnerable computer systems expeditiously or be subject to enforcement actions by the Attorney General, if a breach occurs and the personal information of California residents is compromised because of a failure to patch the systems.
• AB 2167 – would define digital health feedback systems, to include items such as digital pills, and ensure that the Confidentiality of Medical Information Act (CMIA) applies to information derived from, or in the possession, of these systems. This bill would also require that manufacturers equip digital health feedback systems with reasonable and appropriate security features.
• AB 2511 – would require retailers to take reasonable steps to verify the age of the purchaser when selling products that are illegal for a minor to purchase.
• AB 2546 – would strengthen California’s prohibitions on false and deceptive spam emails by holding spam networks and the actual senders liable for false and deceptive spamming, prohibiting the use of falsified or misrepresented business names, postal addresses, or unsubscribe links, located in the body of email, authorizing the Courts to impose injunctions to stop unlawful spamming, and allowing District Attorneys and City Attorneys to bring actions against unlawful spammers.
• AB 2748 – would establish a voluntary pilot program for up to five county election officials to have an independent cybersecurity assessment of their election infrastructure.
Assemblymember Ed Chau represents the 49th Assembly District, comprised of the communities of Alhambra, Arcadia, El Monte, Monterey Park, Rosemead, San Gabriel, San Marino, Temple City and portions of Montebello, and South El Monte.
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