HARRISBURG – The PA Senate Communications and Technology Committee approved three bills to boost online safety. Senate Bill 824 will provide citizens affected by a data breach a free credit report and 12 months of credit monitoring while recovering. It also strengthens state notification requirements and requires Attorney General notification if a data breach occurs in PA. Senate Bill 22 would implement new protections for minors on social media platforms. The bill includes requirements for consent from a parent or legal guardian for anyone under 16 to open a social media account and prohibitions on certain data mining of minors. The panel also approved Senate Bill 745 which would require all state government contracts for computer hardware to meet National Institute of Standards and Technology standards and best practices for computer security. All three bills now move to the full Senate for consideration.
