Privacy Act Modernization Act of 2025
Current understanding
The Privacy Act Modernization Act of 2025 would substantially update the 1974 Privacy Act by extending its protections to all natural persons in the United States (not only citizens and lawful permanent residents), tightening restrictions on federal agencies’ use and disclosure of personal records, and raising civil penalties while adding criminal felony liability for willful commercial misuse of covered records. The bill also contains provisions applying its requirements immediately to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and related entities upon enactment. Status: introduced; no committee action yet reported.
Evidence log
- 2026-07-15 — PRIVACY Act: PRIVACY Act (HR9716) introduced in the 119th Congress and referred to the House Judiciary Committee and House Oversight and Government Reform Committee; operative text not yet assessed for overlap with this bill. (novelty: 2)