Virginia Moves Closer to Be the Second State to Enact Major Privacy Legislation
Time 1 Minute Read

As we previously reported, significant data privacy bills, titled the Consumer Data Protection Act, are working their way through the Virginia legislature. If enacted, Virginia would be the second state to enact major data privacy legislation of general applicability.

As of today, Virginia’s Senate and House of Delegates have passed identical bills, and they now move on to Virginia’s Governor, Ralph Northam. On the Senate floor today, there was debate that the bills were flawed for not including a private right of action and leaving enforcement to the Office of the Attorney General. This caused some senators to oppose the bills, but they ultimately passed by a vote of 32-7.

Governor Northam could enact the bills by signing them into law, or he could use his line item veto authority to make amendments. The Governor could also veto the bills in their entirety, but that does not seem likely at this point. The Governor is expected to act by the end of March.

We will continue to monitor the legislative process closely and provide updates as the bills progress.

 

You May Also Be Interested In

Time 2 Minute Read

On April 1, 2026, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit held that the 2024 amendment to Illinois’ Biometric Information Privacy Act, limiting damages, applies retroactively to pending cases.

Time 3 Minute Read

The Connecticut Attorney General recently issued a legal memorandum regarding the application of existing Connecticut laws, such as the Connecticut Data Privacy Act, to the use of artificial intelligence.

Time 1 Minute Read

As reported on the Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives blog, SB 574 is a California bill that would set specific duties for attorneys who use generative artificial intelligence and would restrict how arbitrators may use such tools in decision-making.

Time 2 Minute Read

On March 4, 2026, Virginia Senate Bill 170 (SB170) passed the House of Delegates after unanimous approval by the Senate.  SB170 now awaits signature by Governor Abigail Spanberger, who has until April 13, 2026 to act.  If signed, the law will go into effect on July 1, 2026, and forms part of Virginia’s broader effort to limit the application and enforceability of non-compete agreements.

Search

Subscribe Arrow

Recent Posts

Categories

Tags

Archives

Jump to Page