WASHINGTON – BSA | The Software Alliance welcomed today’s enactment of the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act. Craig Albright, Vice President of US Government Relations at BSA | The Software Alliance, released the following statement on the enactment of HB 4.

“The enterprise software industry applauds Texas for joining other states in passing comprehensive consumer privacy legislation. Texans join a significant number of Americans who will benefit from important privacy protections that create strong and clear obligations to safeguard personal consumer data.

“All Americans deserve to know that their personal data is being used responsibly, and more than 10 US states have now taken action to protect consumers’ privacy and give them confidence in how their data is used and protected. BSA will continue working with both state legislatures and Congress to pass legislation that establishes new consumer rights over their personal data and creates new safeguards to protect personal data.”

Texas is the sixth state this year to enact a comprehensive consumer privacy law. It joins Florida, Iowa, Indiana, Montana, and Tennessee in adopting a state privacy law during the 2023 state legislative sessions. These new laws more than double the number of states with comprehensive privacy laws. Prior to this year, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Utah, and Virginia, had already adopted state consumer privacy laws.

To learn more about the importance of clear obligations for companies that handle consumer data, read Controllers and Processors: A Longstanding Distinction in Privacy.