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Bill

HR 10284

Smart Meter Data Privacy Protection Act

119th Congress Introduced by Mike Kennedy and 1 co-sponsor

The bill limits smart meter data collection, requires consent and strong privacy protections, and lets consumers access and control their data while restricting third-party sharing

Introduced in House
0
WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · HR 10284

Summary of HR 10284 (119th Congress) – Smart Meter Data Privacy Protection Act

Purpose and intent

  • The bill establishes federal protections for consumer data collected by smart electricity meters and related metering systems.
  • Its core aim is to protect the privacy and security of household energy usage data while allowing for utility operation, energy efficiency programs, and regulated data sharing under defined safeguards.
  • By setting privacy standards, the act seeks to prevent misuse or overcollection of granular energy consumption information.

Key provisions and changes

  • Definitions and scope
    • Defines “smart meter data” and related data streams collected by advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) and any compendium of usage, interval, or device-level information.
  • Consent and notice requirements
    • Utilities must obtain clear consumer notice about data collection, the purposes for which data will be used, and any third-party data sharing.
    • Consumer consent mechanisms are required for specific uses beyond essential metering, billing, or grid reliability needs.
  • Limitations on data collection and retention
    • Sets bounds on the type and granularity of data collected, with emphasis on minimizing data exposure.
    • Establishes retention periods, after which non-essential data must be securely deleted or anonymized, subject to operational needs.
  • Data access and controls
    • Limits access to smart meter data to authorized personnel and contractors with legitimate need, and requires robust authentication, encryption, and auditing.
    • Prohibits broad, unfettered access by third parties without explicit consumer authorization or statutory exception.
  • Data sharing and third-party transfers
    • Specifies conditions under which data can be shared with third parties (e.g., energy providers, grid operators, or researchers) with appropriate privacy protections.
    • May require data minimization, de-identification, or aggregation for non-billing purposes.
  • Security requirements
    • Mandates security standards for data collection, storage, transmission, and disposal, including encryption in transit and at rest, and routine risk assessments.
  • Enforcement and oversight
    • Establishes regulatory enforcement mechanisms to ensure compliance by utilities and meter manufacturers/service providers.
    • May authorize civil penalties or corrective actions for violations, with potential timelines for remediation.
  • Consumer remedies
    • Grants individuals rights to access their data, request corrections, and obtain information about data sharing practices.
    • Provides a process for complaints and enforcement actions when rights are violated.
  • Preemption and coordination
    • Addresses how the bill interacts with existing federal and state privacy laws, possibly preserving state-level protections to the extent not inconsistent with federal standards.

Who is affected

  • Primary actors
    • Electricity utilities and their metering service providers.
    • Smart meter manufacturers, installers, and maintenance contractors.
    • Third-party entities that access or handle smart meter data (e.g., data analytics firms, demand-response program operators).
  • Consumers
    • Households and small businesses with smart meters or AMI-enabled energy monitoring.
  • Regulators and oversight bodies
    • Federal or designated authoritative agencies responsible for enforcing data privacy and security standards.

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • Legislative status
    • Introduced in the House and referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce (as of 2026-09-03).
  • Next steps
    • Committee review, potential markups, and floor consideration.
    • Possible amendments to refine scope, enforcement, and interplay with other privacy laws.
  • Effective date
    • The bill would specify an effective date for compliance (not provided here; typically a fixed number of months post-enactment), and transitional provisions for existing meter deployments.

Additional notes

  • Co-sponsors include Josh Riley and Mike Kennedy, indicating bipartisan involvement in sponsoring privacy protections for smart meter data.
  • The bill aims to balance utility operational needs (billing accuracy, grid reliability, demand management) with strong privacy safeguards and consumer rights.

If you’d like, I can extract more granular details once the full text is available (e.g., exact penalties, specific data-sharing exceptions, or alignment with other privacy statutes).

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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