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SB338 • 2026

Consumer Data Protection Act; data controller responsibilities, precise geolocation data.

An Act to amend and reenact § 59.1-578 of the Code of Virginia, relating to Consumer Data Protection Act; data controller responsibilities; precise geolocation data.

Technology
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Perry
Last action
2026-04-13
Official status
Acts of Assembly Chapter
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Consumer Data Protection Act; data controller responsibilities, precise geolocation data.

Consumer Data Protection Act; data controller responsibilities; precise geolocation data.

What This Bill Does

  • Consumer Data Protection Act; data controller responsibilities; precise geolocation data.
  • Provides that, for purposes of the Consumer Data Protection Act, a controller of personal data shall not sell or offer for sale precise geolocation data concerning a consumer.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

SB338AH1

2026-02-23 • Committee

Communications, Technology and Innovation Amendment

Plain English: 2/23/2026 SB 338 COMMUNICATIONS, TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION 1.

  • 2/23/2026 SB 338 COMMUNICATIONS, TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION 1.
  • Line 36, engrossed strike all of lines 36 and 37
SB338EDOC

2026-02-26 • House

House Amendment

Plain English: 2/26/2026 (SB338) AMENDMENT(S) PROPOSED BY THE HOUSE COMMUNICATIONS, TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION 1.

  • 2/26/2026 (SB338) AMENDMENT(S) PROPOSED BY THE HOUSE COMMUNICATIONS, TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION 1.
  • Line 36, engrossed strike all of lines 36 and 37

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-13 Governor

    Approved by Governor-Chapter 820 (effective 7/1/2026)

  2. 2026-04-13 Governor

    Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0820)

  3. 2026-04-13 Governor

    Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0820)

  4. 2026-03-10 Senate

    Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 10, 2026

  5. 2026-03-10 Governor

    Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026

  6. 2026-03-05 House

    Signed by Speaker

  7. 2026-03-05 Senate

    Signed by President

  8. 2026-03-05 Senate

    Enrolled

  9. 2026-03-05 Senate

    Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB338ER)

  10. 2026-03-05 Senate

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB338)

  11. 2026-03-03 Senate

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB338)

  12. 2026-03-02 Senate

    House Amendment agreed to by Senate (40-Y 0-N 0-A)

  13. 2026-02-26 House

    Read third time

  14. 2026-02-26 House

    committee amendment agreed to

  15. 2026-02-26 House

    Engrossed by House as amended

  16. 2026-02-26 House

    Passed House with amendment (96-Y 0-N 0-A)

  17. 2026-02-25 House

    Read second time

  18. 2026-02-23 Communications, Technology and Innovation

    Reported from Communications, Technology and Innovation with amendment(s) (22-Y 0-N)

  19. 2026-02-06 House

    Placed on Calendar

  20. 2026-02-06 Communications, Technology and Innovation

    Referred to Committee on Communications, Technology and Innovation

  21. 2026-02-06 House

    Read first time

  22. 2026-02-03 Senate

    Read third time and passed Senate Block Vote (39-Y 0-N 0-A)

  23. 2026-02-02 Senate

    Read second time

  24. 2026-02-02 Senate

    Engrossed by Senate Block Vote (Voice Vote)

  25. 2026-01-30 Senate

    Rules suspended

  26. 2026-01-30 Senate

    Passed by for the day

  27. 2026-01-30 Senate

    Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (38-Y 0-N 0-A)

  28. 2026-01-30 Senate

    Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)

  29. 2026-01-28 General Laws and Technology

    Reported from General Laws and Technology (15-Y 0-N)

  30. 2026-01-13 Senate

    Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26100141D

  31. 2026-01-13 General Laws and Technology

    Referred to Committee on General Laws and Technology

Official Summary Text

Consumer Data Protection Act; data controller responsibilities; precise geolocation data.
Provides that, for purposes of the Consumer Data Protection Act, a controller of personal data shall not sell or offer for sale precise geolocation data concerning a consumer.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
An Act to amend and reenact §
59.1-578
of the Code of Virginia, relating to Consumer Data Protection Act; data controller responsibilities; precise geolocation data.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That §
59.1-578
of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:
§
59.1-578
. Data controller responsibilities; transparency.
A. A controller shall:
1. Limit the collection of personal data to what is adequate, relevant, and reasonably necessary in relation to the purposes for which such data is processed, as disclosed to the consumer;
2. Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, not process personal data for purposes that are neither reasonably necessary to nor compatible with the disclosed purposes for which such personal data is processed, as disclosed to the consumer, unless the controller obtains the consumer's consent;
3. Establish, implement, and maintain reasonable administrative, technical, and physical data security practices to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and accessibility of personal data. Such data security practices shall be appropriate to the volume and nature of the personal data at issue;
4. Not process personal data in violation of state and federal laws that prohibit unlawful discrimination against consumers. A controller shall not discriminate against a consumer for exercising any of the consumer rights contained in this chapter, including denying goods or services, charging different prices or rates for goods or services, or providing a different level of quality of goods and services to the consumer. However, nothing in this subdivision shall be construed to require a controller to provide a product or service that requires the personal data of a consumer that the controller does not collect or maintain or to prohibit a controller from offering a different price, rate, level, quality, or selection of goods or services to a consumer, including offering goods or services for no fee, if the consumer has exercised his right to opt out pursuant to §
59.1-577
or the offer is related to a consumer's voluntary participation in a bona fide loyalty, rewards, premium features, discounts, or club card program;
and
5. Not process sensitive data concerning a consumer without obtaining the consumer's consent, or, in the case of the processing of sensitive data concerning a known child, without processing such data in accordance with the federal Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (15 U.S.C. § 6501 et seq.)
; and
6. Not sell or offer for sale precise geolocation data concerning a consumer.
B. Any provision of a contract or agreement of any kind that purports to waive or limit in any way consumer rights pursuant to §
59.1-577
shall be deemed contrary to public policy and shall be void and unenforceable.
C. Controllers shall provide consumers with a reasonably accessible, clear, and meaningful privacy notice that includes:
1. The categories of personal data processed by the controller;
2. The purpose for processing personal data;
3. How consumers may exercise their consumer rights pursuant §
59.1-577
, including how a consumer may appeal a controller's decision with regard to the consumer's request;
4. The categories of personal data that the controller shares with third parties, if any; and
5. The categories of third parties, if any, with whom the controller shares personal data.
D. If a controller sells personal data to third parties or processes personal data for targeted advertising, the controller shall clearly and conspicuously disclose such processing, as well as the manner in which a consumer may exercise the right to opt out of such processing.
E. A controller shall establish, and shall describe in a privacy notice, one or more secure and reliable means for consumers to submit a request to exercise their consumer rights under this chapter. Such means shall take into account the ways in which consumers normally interact with the controller, the need for secure and reliable communication of such requests, and the ability of the controller to authenticate the identity of the consumer making the request. Controllers shall not require a consumer to create a new account in order to exercise consumer rights pursuant to §
59.1-577
but may require a consumer to use an existing account.
F. 1. Subject to the consent requirement established by subdivision 3, no controller shall process any personal data collected from a known child:
a. For the purposes of (i) targeted advertising, (ii) the sale of such personal data, or (iii) profiling in furtherance of decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects concerning a consumer;
b. Unless such processing is reasonably necessary to provide the online service, product, or feature;
c. For any processing purpose other than the processing purpose that the controller disclosed at the time such controller collected such personal data or that is reasonably necessary for and compatible with such disclosed purpose; or
d. For longer than is reasonably necessary to provide the online service, product, or feature.
2. Subject to the consent requirement established by subdivision 3, no controller shall collect precise geolocation data from a known child unless (i) such precise geolocation data is reasonably necessary for the controller to provide an online service, product, or feature and, if such data is necessary to provide such online service, product, or feature, such controller shall only collect such data for the time necessary to provide such online service, product, or feature and (ii) the controller provides to the known child a signal indicating that such controller is collecting such precise geolocation data, which signal shall be available to such known child for the entire duration of such collection.
3. No controller shall engage in the activities described in subdivisions 1 or 2 unless the controller obtains consent from the child's parent or legal guardian in accordance with the federal Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (15 U.S.C. § 6501 et seq.).