S. 139: Data Breach Notification Act

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S. 139: Data Breach Notification Act

111th Congress · introduced 2009-01-06 · Crime and Law Enforcement · Latest: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 563.

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Official title

Data Breach Notification Act

Plain summary

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.) Data Breach Notification Act - (Sec. 2) Requires any agency or business entity with sensitive personally identifiable information to notify without unreasonable delay any U.S. resident of a security breach in which such resident's information has been, or is reasonably believed to have been, accessed or acquired. (Sec. 3) Exempts agencies or business entities from security breach notification requirements if they provide written certification to the Secret Service that providing such notification would impede a criminal investigation or damage national security. Requires the Secret Service to evaluate the merits of such certifications. (Sec. 4) Requires an agency or business entity to give notice of a security breach to any affected individuals: (1) by written notice to their last known home mailing address, by telephone, or by email (if email notification was consented to); and (2) to major media outlets if the number of residents in a state affected by a security breach exceeds 5,000. (Sec. 5) Requires the notification to individuals whose sensitive personally identifiable information has been acquired to include: (1) a description of the categories of information an unauthorized individual has acquired; and (2) toll-free numbers for contacting the agency or business entity whose databases have been breached and major credit reporting agencies. (Sec. 6) Requires any business entity or agency that is required to provide notification to more than 5,000 individuals of a security breach to notify all consumer reporting agencies. (Sec. 7) Requires any business entity or agency to notify the Secret Service of security breaches of sensitive personally identifying information within 14 days of any data security breach that involves: (1) more than 10,000 individuals; (2) a database that contains information about more than one million individuals nationwide; (3) a federal government database; or (4) individuals known to be government employees or contractors involved in national security or law enforcement. Requires the Secret Service to notify the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Postal Service, and the attorney general of each affected state of a security breach within 14 days of receiving notice of any breach. (Sec. 8) Authorizes the Attorney General to bring a civil action, including an injunction, in a U.S. district court for violations of security breach notification requirements. (Sec. 9) Allows state attorneys general to bring a civil action in a U.S. district court to enforce security breach notification requirements. Authorizes the Attorney General to stay, or intervene in, any state action. (Sec. 10) Declares that the provisions of this subtitle shall supersede any other provision of federal or state law relating to notification by an interstate business entity or agency of a security breach. (Sec. 11) Authorizes appropriations to the Secret Service to carry out investigations and risk assessments of security breaches. (Sec. 12) Requires the Secret Service to report to Congress on security breaches resulting from risk assessment exemptions.

Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to Senate without amendment), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

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Alternatives

Needs sources: no published alternatives yet (for example a different bill, a law instead of an amendment, or keeping current law). We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

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Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Feinstein, Dianne [D-CA] · 0 cosponsors

Cost estimate: CBO cost estimate: S. 139, Data Breach Notification Act (2009-12-11); CBO cost estimate: S. 139, Data Breach Notification Act (2009-12-11)

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Sources

• Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to Senate without amendment)
• Congress.gov
• Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-111s139.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/111/s>

Record fed-us-cong111-s139 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong111 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong111