Act Now to Stop California SB 362

Contact California Assembly Appropriation Committee Members and ask them to STOP SB 362.

Thank you to those of you who have already taken action to reach out to California Assemblymembers to voice concerns on SB 362. SB 362 would negatively impact our ability to reach out to and engage voters, especially younger and diverse populations.

Please take a second today and reach out to California Assembly Committee on Appropriations members and ask them to NOT advance the bill out of committee and hold for further study and conversations. The Committee will decide by August 31 if the bill will advance out of committee and be eligible for a full Assembly vote. At the end of this email, you will find a sample email you can send to members.

Concerns with California SB 362:

Impact on Political and Public Awareness Campaigns and Voter Outreach: Data is crucial for political campaigns to reach out to and engage voters, educate the public on issues, encourage voter turnout, and facilitate fundraising. The bill's deletion requirements would hinder campaign strategies and reduce voter engagement, especially reaching younger and diverse voters.
Vague Language and No Exemptions: The lack of specifics leaves a lot of interpretation on what data the bill applies to and leaves the decision to the California Privacy Protection Agency when implementing rules and regulations. The CPPA has a precedent of far-reaching regulations and it is a gamble to assume they will allow exemptions in their rulemaking process for voter data or the use of data in campaigns.
Permanent Deletion and the First Amendment: When the data is permanently deleted, you are no longer able to communicate with that voter on public policy matters. This bill raises First Amendment concerns when the state acts to restrain the ability to engage in speech.

To put it plainly: Passage of SB 362 will force us to return to less effective forms of communication and campaigning and will hurt our abilities to reach out to and engage voters.

Take Action:

Below is a sample email you can use to reach out to State Assembly Committee on Appropriations Members.

Thank you for your commitment to our industry and for taking the time to reach out to California members,

Robyn Matthews

Director, Advocacy and Industry Relations

405.249.8286

Committee on Appropriations Members:

Chris Holden (Chair), Dem - 41

Megan Dahle (Vice Chair), Rep - 1

Isaac Bryan, Dem - 55

Lisa Calderon, Dem - 56

Wendy Carrillo, Dem - 52

Diane Dixon, Rep - 72

Mike Fong, Dem - 49

Gregg Hart, Dem - 37

Josh Lowenthal, Dem - 69

Devon Mathis, Rep - 33

Diane Papan, Dem - 21

Gail Pellerin, Dem - 28

Kate A. Sanchez, Rep - 71

Esmeralda Soria, Dem - 27

Akilah Weber, M.D., Dem - 79

Lori Wilson, Dem - 11

To email all committee members, click here.

Sample Email:

Subject: Vote NO on SB 362

Dear Assemblymember [Name]:

As a steward of data in political campaigns, I ask that you vote to NOT advance SB 362. SB 362 will negatively impact political and public awareness campaigns and our ability to reach voters.

While privacy is a critical consideration, SB 362's provisions could inadvertently hinder our ability to effectively engage with voters and carry out successful political campaigns. Specifically, I worry about its potential impact on voter education and participation, particularly among younger and diverse demographics.

Our campaigns rely on data to reach constituents, educate the public on issues, encourage voter turnout, and facilitate fundraising. SB 362's requirements to remove personal data could limit the reach of our campaign messaging, ultimately diminishing public participation and weakening the democratic process.

Additionally, these deletion previsions already exist within the current CCPA. SB 362 introduces unnecessary redundancy and complicates compliance efforts for small businesses, without addressing any gaps in privacy law.

Given these concerns, I respectfully ask that you oppose the advancement of SB 362 and consider holding the bill for further study and review.

Thank you for your time and consideration,

[Your Name]

[Your Title/Company]

[Your Contact Information]

American Association of Political Consultants

1750 Tysons Boulevard, Suite 1500, McLean, VA, 22102

703-245-8020

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