Algorithmic Accountability Act of 2019
Latest action · Apr 11, 2019 Referred to the Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Commerce.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedApr 10, 2019
- Passed HouseNot reached
- Passed SenateNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Algorithmic Accountability Act of 2019
This bill requires specified commercial entities to conduct assessments of high-risk systems that involve personal information or make automated decisions, such as systems that use artificial intelligence or machine learning.
Specifically, high-risk automated decision systems include those that (1) may contribute to inaccuracy, bias, or discrimination; or (2) facilitate decision-making about sensitive aspects of consumers' lives by evaluating consumers' behavior. Further, an automated-decision system, or information system involving personal data, is considered high-risk if it (1) raises security or privacy concerns, (2) involves the personal information of a significant number of people, or (3) systematically monitors a large, publicly accessible physical location.
Assessments of high-risk automated-decision systems must (1) describe the system in detail, (2) assess the relative costs and benefits of the system, (3) determine the risks to the privacy and security of personal information, and (4) explain the steps taken to minimize those risks, if discovered. Assessments of high-risk information systems involving personal information must evaluate the extent to which the system protects the privacy and security of such information.
Cosponsors 31
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Apr 29, 2019 to Oct 9, 2020.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-NJ | Bonnie Watson Coleman | Apr 29, 2019 | |
| D-CA | Brad Sherman | Apr 29, 2019 | |
| D-NM | Debra A. Haaland | Apr 29, 2019 | |
| D-VA | Donald S. Beyer, Jr. | Apr 29, 2019 | |
| D-DC | Eleanor Holmes Norton | Apr 29, 2019 | |
| D-NY | Adriano Espaillat | Apr 30, 2019 | |
| D-AZ | Raúl M. Grijalva | May 2, 2019 | |
| D-MA | James P. McGovern | May 7, 2019 | |
| D-CA | Jared Huffman | May 7, 2019 | |
| D-NC | Alma S. Adams | May 8, 2019 | |
| D-MA | Ayanna Pressley | May 8, 2019 | |
| D-MS | Bennie G. Thompson | May 8, 2019 | |
| D-LA | Cedric L. Richmond | May 8, 2019 | |
| D-NJ | Donald M. Payne, Jr. | May 8, 2019 | |
| D-TX | Eddie Bernice Johnson | May 8, 2019 | |
| D-MO | Emanuel Cleaver | May 8, 2019 | |
| D-FL | Frederica S. Wilson | May 8, 2019 | |
| D-NC | G. K. Butterfield | May 8, 2019 | |
| D-WI | Gwen Moore | May 8, 2019 | |
| D-CA | Karen Bass | May 8, 2019 | |
| D-TX | Marc A. Veasey | May 8, 2019 | |
| D-OH | Marcia L. Fudge | May 8, 2019 | |
| D-IL | Robin L. Kelly | May 8, 2019 | |
| D-VI | Stacey E. Plaskett | May 8, 2019 | |
| D-TN | Steve Cohen | May 10, 2019 | |
| D-MN | Ilhan Omar | May 15, 2019 | |
| D-IL | Bobby L. Rush | Aug 23, 2019 | |
| D-CA | Ro Khanna | Sep 17, 2019 | |
| D-MD | David J. Trone | Oct 28, 2019 | |
| D-WA | Rick Larsen | Nov 19, 2019 | |
| D-PA | Dwight Evans | Oct 9, 2020 |
Committees 1
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| House | Energy and Commerce Committee | Referred Apr 10, 2019 |
| Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade Subcommittee | Referred Apr 11, 2019 |
Actions 3
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Apr 11, 2019Referred to the Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Commerce.
- Apr 10, 2019Introduced in House
- Apr 10, 2019Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Research
What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.
Constitutional authority
The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the Congressional Record, vol. 165, no. 62, April 10, 2019, page H3257.
Printed hearings 3
Hearings whose printed record names this bill, newest first: hearings on it, and wider hearings where it came up.
| Number | Hearing | Committee | Held |
|---|---|---|---|
| S. Hrg. 116-619 | EXAMINING LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS TO PROTECT CONSUMER DATA PRIVACY94 pages | Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee | Dec 4, 2019 |
| S. Hrg. 116-572 | OPTIMIZING FOR ENGAGEMENT: UNDERSTANDING THE USE OF PERSUASIVE TECHNOLOGY ON INTERNET PLATFORMS95 pages | Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee | Jun 25, 2019 |
| Serial No. 116-13 | OVERSIGHT HEARING ON NO ROAD MAP, NO DESTINATION, NO JUSTIFICATION: THE IMPLEMENTATION AND IMPACTS OF THE REORGANIZATION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR58 pages | Natural Resources Committee | Apr 30, 2019 |
Related bills 2
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| S 1108 | Algorithmic Accountability Act of 2019 | Identical bill | Apr 10, 2019 |
| S 2637 | Mind Your Own Business Act of 2019 | Related bill | Oct 17, 2019 |
Titles 2
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- To direct the Federal Trade Commission to require entities that use, store, or share personal information to conduct automated decision system impact assessments and data protection impact assessments.
- Short Title(s) as Introduced
- Algorithmic Accountability Act of 2019
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Commerce.
Text 1
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Apr 10, 2019Introduced in House
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.
