Gabby Miller reports:
On Thursday, June 13, 2024, Vermont Governor Phil Scott vetoed one of the most comprehensive consumer privacy bills the US has seen to date. The Vermont Data Privacy Act (H.121), or “an act relating to enhancing consumer privacy and the age-appropriate design code,” will now return to the General Assembly, needing a two-thirds vote in each chamber to override the veto.
Gov. Scott took issue with the bill’s private right of action, its Kids Code provisions, and its “expansive definitions” that he believes “create big and expensive new burdens and competitive disadvantages for the small and mid-sized businesses Vermont communities rely on,” according to a press release by his office. He urged lawmakers to consider adopting a privacy law more like Connecticut’s. The governor considers that kind of bill to be less risky for the state, but it is also preferred by industry.
It was largely expected that the Republican governor would take such action, despite the bill passing with near-unanimous support in the House.
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