Pennsylvania HB 1822: An Act amending Title 44 (Law and Justice) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, providing for protection of personal data of certain public servants; imposing duties on data brokers regarding personal data; and providing for civil enforcement.

Bill Text

PRIOR PRINTER'S NOS. 2243, 2332 PRINTER'S NO. 2520
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 1822
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY BRIGGS, McNEILL, HILL-EVANS, OTTEN, HOWARD,
SANCHEZ, BOROWSKI, MAYES, GALLAGHER, D. WILLIAMS, SHUSTERMAN,
BOYD, NEILSON, CURRY AND GREEN, AUGUST 26, 2025
AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, OCTOBER 27, 2025
AN ACT
Amending Title 44 (Law and Justice) of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes, providing for protection of personal
data of certain public servants; imposing duties on data
brokers regarding personal data; and providing for civil and
criminal enforcement.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Title 44 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
Statutes is amended by adding a chapter to read:
CHAPTER 9
PUBLIC SERVANT DATA PRIVACY
Sec.
901. Scope of chapter.
902. Findings and declarations.
903. Definitions.
904. Nondisclosure of protected information.
905. Enforcement.
906. Construction.
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§ 901. Scope of chapter.
This chapter provides for public servant data privacy.
§ 902. Findings and declarations.
The General Assembly finds and declares as follows:
(1) Judges, lawmakers and other elected and appointed
public servants and their staff play an essential role in the
free and fair functioning of our government. While the nature
of their official duties will undoubtedly draw occasional
disapproval and criticism from members of the public, our
public servants and their families have experienced sharp
increases in recent years in the volume and severity of
intimidating abuse, threats and violent attacks, including
attempted assassinations, some of which have been perpetrated
by malefactors obtaining the home addresses or other unlisted
contact information of their targets.
(2) These threats and attacks create a chilling effect
and constrain how freely our officials interact with the
public, narrows the spectrum of positions they feel safe to
take or support and make them less willing to continue in
public service. This persistent and severe problem is an
affront to the effective functioning of our government and
the rule of law.
(3) Violence against and intimidation of our public
servants and their families is made easier by data brokers
disseminating private information, enabling assailants to
easily compile dossiers on the public officials the
assailants target.
(4) Having personal information easily accessible at the
click of a button provides negligible value to the public and
poses grave danger to our public officials and their
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families.
(5) This chapter is implemented to foster the ability of
these public servants who perform critical governmental roles
to carry out their official duties without fear of personal
reprisal.
§ 903. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this chapter
shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Assignee." A person or entity to whom a person's right to
bring a civil action for a violation of section 904 (relating to
nondisclosure of protected information) has been assigned, in
writing, by the covered person or their authorized agent.
"Associated person." The following:
(1) An individual connected to a principal person by one
of the following relationships:
(i) A parent, spouse, child or grandchild of a
principal person.
(ii) A person sharing custody of a minor child with
a principal person.
(iii) A person sharing a primary residence with a
principal person.
(2) An individual whose main job duties and
responsibilities include providing direct support to a
principal person in fulfilling the principal person's
obligations to the public.
"Authorized agent." Any of the following persons or entities
authorized to submit or revoke a request for nondisclosure of
protected information on behalf of a covered person and to
engage in communications and enforcement:
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(1) A designated trustee or other agent acting under a
written power of attorney or other legal instrument on behalf
of any covered person who is physically or mentally
incapacitated.
(2) A parent or legal guardian on behalf of any child,
who is a minor, who is otherwise entitled to nondisclosure
under this act.
(3) A person or entity that has been appointed under a
written power of attorney by a covered person to act on their
behalf with respect to this chapter.
(4) An agent acting on behalf of a Federal judge, a
designee of the United States Marshals Service or the clerk
of any United States District Court.
"Covered person." A principal person or associated person.
"Data broker." A person or entity that discloses the
protected information of an individual to a thir