On April 21, 2026, lawmakers introduced H.R. 8413, the Securing and Establishing Consumer Uniform Rights and Enforcement over Data Act, also known as the SECURE Data Act of 2026, a comprehensive federal privacy proposal that would create new national standards for how non-financial businesses collect, use, store, and share consumer data. The bill would give the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) an expanded role in overseeing data privacy practices across the U.S. economy.
For PRINTING United Alliance members, the legislation is important to watch. Many printing companies handle customer, consumer, employee, transactional, marketing, mailing, or fulfillment-related data as part of daily operations. This may include customer lists, mailing addresses, personalized direct mail files, variable data printing, digital marketing information, subscription data, e-commerce order information, and other consumer-facing records. As print becomes increasingly connected to data-driven communications, federal privacy policy could directly affect how companies manage workflows, vendor relationships, and compliance responsibilities.
The SECURE Data Act is built around several core privacy principles, including:
Data minimization: Companies would be required to limit the collection of consumer data to what is necessary for the service or transaction being provided.
Consumer access rights: Consumers would have the right to request access to their personal data and obtain a copy in a format that allows the information to be transferred to another company.
Data deletion rights: Consumers would have the right to request deletion of personal data held by a covered company.
Sensitive data protections: Companies would generally need opt-in consent before collecting or using sensitive consumer data.
A key feature of the SECURE Data Act is its effort to establish a national privacy framework. The Alliance has long advocated for a comprehensive federal privacy law that would replace the growing patchwork of state laws with one clear, consistent standard. Thus far, 20 states have enacted comprehensive consumer data privacy laws. For printing companies that serve customers across multiple states, a national framework would help reduce compliance complexity, improve certainty, and support more efficient business operations while maintaining strong protections for consumer data.
The proposal would apply to companies that process data from more than 200,000 U.S. consumers, while exempting small businesses with less than $25 million in adjusted gross annual revenue. For larger printing companies, direct mail providers, marketing service providers, fulfillment companies, and firms that support high-volume customer communications, these thresholds will be especially important to evaluate.
The bill would also require data brokers to register in a federal database and would give consumers the right to opt out of data sales, targeted advertising, and certain profiling activities that could have legal or similarly significant effects. For printers and marketing service providers, these provisions may raise questions about how consumer data is obtained, transferred, processed, and used across customer campaigns and third-party vendor relationships.
The bill does not include a private right of action, which has been a major point of debate in previous federal privacy proposals. Enforcement would generally remain with the FTC and state attorneys general.
Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy & Commerce, and Congressman John Joyce, M.D. (PA-13), Leader of the Energy and Commerce Data Privacy Working Group stated, “The Energy and Commerce Data Privacy Working Group was created to reset the discussion on comprehensive data privacy, taking wide ranging input from stakeholders and crafting a consensus bill that protects the privacy and security of Americans’ personal data. The SECURE Data Act is the result. This bill establishes clear, enforceable protections so that Americans remain in charge of their own data and companies are held accountable for its safe keeping. We look forward to working with our colleagues to build support for this bill and advance data privacy protections fit for our 21st century economy.”
For the printing industry, the SECURE Data Act underscores the growing connection between privacy policy and print production. Printers are trusted partners in delivering highly personalized, data-driven communications, from direct mail and transactional documents to labels, packaging, publications, and marketing campaigns. As Congress considers new federal privacy standards, the Alliance will continue to monitor developments and assess how it may affect members’ compliance obligations, customer relationships, and day-to-day operations.
Next Steps
The House Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade is expected to schedule a legislative hearing, where lawmakers and witnesses will have the opportunity to provide feedback. A subcommittee markup would likely follow, giving members the chance to offer amendments before the bill advances to the full committee.
In this article, Stephanie Buka, Government Affairs Manager, PRINTING United Alliance, reports on the SECURE Data Act of 2026. More information can be found at Business Excellence-Legislation or reach out to Steph should you have additional questions specific to how these issues may affect your business: sbuka@printing.org.
To become a member of the Alliance and learn more about how our subject matter experts can assist your company with services and resources such as those mentioned in this article, please contact the Alliance membership team: 888-385-3588 / membership@printing.org.