Alabama Enacts Comprehensive Consumer Data Privacy Law

by Arsen Kourinian, Lei Shen, Amber C. Thomson, Megan P. Von Klein, Joshua M. Cohen - Mayer Brown

On April 17, 2026, Governor Kay Ivey signed House Bill 351 into law, enacting the Alabama Personal Data Protection Act (the "APDPA" or the "Act") and making Alabama the 22nd state to adopt a comprehensive consumer privacy law. The APDPA, which takes effect on May 1, 2027, largely follows the dominant model for state privacy legislation observed in states outside of California; however, it departs from that model in several notable respects, including generally lower applicability thresholds, a novel definition of "sale," and the absence of a data protection assessment requirement. For more information about how the APDPA compares to other privacy laws, please see our state privacy law tracker.

Read more: https://www.mayerbrown.com/en/insights/publications/2026/04/alabama-enacts-comprehensive-consumer-data-privacy-law

New York State Prohibits Employers’ Consideration of Credit History in Most Employment-Related Decisions

by Catherine Weiss Butto - Spencer Fane

Effective April 18, 2026, an amendment to the New York State Fair Credit Reporting Act1 will ban employers from using an applicant’s or employee’s credit history for employment decisions, such as hiring or determining employee compensation. Narrow exceptions apply. This new prohibition generally expands New York City’s Stop Credit Discrimination in Employment Act, which has banned NYC employers from engaging in similar practices since 2015, subject to limited exemptions. As of April 18, 2026, comparable restrictions will apply statewide.

Read more: https://www.spencerfane.com/insight/new-york-state-prohibits-employers-consideration-of-credit-history-in-most-employment-related-decisions/

Washington Bans Employers from Refusing to Hire for Cannabis Use

by Washington Today

Washington state has passed a new law that prohibits employers from refusing to hire job applicants due to their use of cannabis. The law, which took effect in 2024, states that pre-employment drug testing may include cannabis, but positive results cannot be shared with employers. This marks a significant shift in the state's cannabis policies, as Washington was an early adopter of both medical and recreational marijuana legalization.

Read more: https://nationaltoday.com/us/pa/washington-pa/news/2026/04/09/washington-bans-employers-from-refusing-to-hire-for-cannabis-use/

Proposed State Privacy Law Update: April 6, 2026

by David Stauss, Troutman Pepper Locke - JD Supra

Key point: Last week, Maine’s consumer data privacy bill stalled in the House while Kentucky’s legislature passed a bill to amend the commonwealth’s consumer data privacy law.

Below is the twelfth update on the status of proposed state privacy legislation in 2026. This post covers updates on proposed bills dealing with consumer data privacy, kid’s privacy, biometric privacy, data brokers, and consumer health data privacy. As always, the contents provided below are time-sensitive and subject to change.

Read more: https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/proposed-state-privacy-law-update-april-5464708/

No Slowing Down: Three More State Privacy Laws Take Effect

by Paul Rothermel, Gardner Law - JD Supra

Three additional  state privacy laws have recently taken effect, continuing the steady expansion of privacy regulation in the United States. With these additions, the U.S. now has twenty comprehensive state privacy laws on the books.

For companies that collect, use, or share personal information, this growing patchwork of state requirements continues to complicate compliance efforts. Businesses operating across multiple states should assess whether their data practices now fall within the reach of these newly effective laws.

Read more: https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/no-slowing-down-three-more-state-8826203/

Connecticut AG Issues Memorandum on Application of Existing Laws to AI

by A.J.S. Dhaliwal, James Gatto, Maxwell Earp-Thomas, Sheppart, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP - JD Supra

On February 25, Connecticut AG William Tong released a memorandum explaining how existing Connecticut laws may apply to artificial intelligence systems used in activities such as tenant screening, employment decisions, credit risk and loan determinations, insurance claims, and targeted consumer advertising. The memorandum outlines several statutory frameworks the Office of the Attorney General may use when addressing AI-related conduct, including Connecticut’s civil rights laws, the Connecticut Data Privacy Act, the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act, and the Connecticut Antitrust Act.

Read more: https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/connecticut-ag-issues-memorandum-on-3671396/

Seven Years in the Making: Oklahoma Enacting Comprehensive Consumer Privacy Law

by TCPA Practice Group, Troutman Admin, LLP - The National Law Review

Senate Bill 546 cleared the Oklahoma House 84–4, positioning the state to become the 21st to enact a comprehensive privacy framework.

After nearly a decade of legislative effort, Oklahoma moved decisively toward enacting a comprehensive consumer data privacy law on February 19, 2026, when the Oklahoma House of Representatives passed Senate Bill 546 by an overwhelming 84–4 vote. The bill, authored by Senator Brent Howard (R) and co-sponsored by House Majority Leader Josh West (R), now awaits Senate concurrence on House amendments before proceeding to Governor Kevin Stitt for signature.

Read more: https://natlawreview.com/article/seven-years-making-oklahoma-enacting-comprehensive-consumer-privacy-law

State of the states: Maine comprehensive privacy, Oregon AI chatbot bills on the move

by Joe Duball - iapp

The Maine Legislature has advanced a comprehensive privacy bill through both chambers, but uncertainty is still swirling around its fate.

The Maine Senate passed an amended version of Legislative Document 1822, the Maine Online Data Privacy Act, on a 20-14 vote 5 March. The original version of the bill passed the Maine House weeks prior, but the House will now debate the Senate amended version that includes a controversial exemption for political organizations.

Read more: https://iapp.org/news/a/state-of-the-states-maine-comprehensive-privacy-oregon-ai-chatbot-bills-on-the-move?mkt_tok=MTM4LUVaTS0wNDIAAAGgY31dsqtwQYzlqH1eacIr0uMa1nedqKKsPBxX7lPcYzkYnIjuJwhlPHaT3FFlK6AdunrKz8fd6oojusDJ11UzIQHdnhJmi3ts0neKykSf_QU-

LASC Admits Failure to Report Dispositions to DOJ in Nearly Half Million Criminal Cases

by MetNews Staff Writer - Metropolitan News

The Los Angeles Superior Court yesterday admitted to having failed to report the outcome of approximately 464,000 criminal matters dating back to the 1980s to the California Department of Justice due to alleged technical issues with a case management system, acknowledging that the error may have led to inaccurate and incomplete rap sheets for the affected individuals.

Saying that “individuals with an arrest record may not currently have their arrest outcome accurately reflected in their criminal history record,” the court admitted that “impacted individuals may see their criminal records updated” and “may…qualify for expungement or resentencing relief.”

In addition to implications in criminal cases, in which rap sheets are used to establish prior convictions for strikes and other sentencing enhancements as well as playing into filing decisions by prosecutors in determining whether to pursue felony or misdemeanor charges, the failure affects background checks relied upon by employers, public sector agencies, and landlords in selecting suitable candidates.

Read more: http://www.metnews.com/articles/2026/criminalhistories_022526.htm

Whose Rules Govern the Algorithmic Boss? State AI Employment Laws, Federal Preemption Threats, and the Coming Litigation Wave

by Andrew R. Lee, Jason M. Loring, Graham H. Ryan, Jones Walker LLP - The National Law Review

Several state AI employment laws — in Illinois, Texas, and Colorado — have either just taken effect or will take effect this year, imposing bias audits, notice requirements, appeal rights, and impact assessments on employers using AI in HR decisions. At the same time, the White House's Executive Order 14365, issued in December 2025, directed a new federal AI Litigation Task Force to challenge "burdensome" state AI laws as inconsistent with a minimally burdensome national AI policy framework. The result is a constitutional collision course that will directly shape how employers design and deploy algorithmic hiring tools.

Read more: https://natlawreview.com/article/whose-rules-govern-algorithmic-boss-state-ai-employment-laws-federal-preemption