Privacy bills still sit on Governor's desk

Advocates across California are waiting with held breath the Governor's decision on a handful of privacy protection bills. The deadline for a signature or a veto is October 14th. Here's a list of the most important legislation to keep an eye out for, with accompanying links to additional information, including fact sheets and support letters:

AB 779 (Jones) would require retailers to reimburse data breach-related costs, disclose more details about breaches, and prohibit retailers and other merchants from storing specific types of authentication data.

AB 1168 (Jones) would prohibit local government agencies from releasing to the public records that contain more than the last four digits of a social security number.

AB 1298 (Jones) would protect consumers' medical records by extending the state's existing medical privacy laws to the emerging electronic medical records industry.

SB 362 (Simitian) would prohibit a person or business from requiring, coercing, or compelling any other individual to undergo the subcutaneous implanting of an identification device.

We'll be watching the Governor's actions closely the next few days!