PROTECT Act

This legislation, known as the PROTECT Act, mandates the Secretary of Homeland Security to develop and disseminate crucial guidance concerning the handling of personally identifiable information (PII). This guidance must be issued within one year of the bill's enactment and then quadrennially to federal, state, and local government agencies, as well as relevant private sector entities.

The primary focus of this guidance is to establish best practices for how these organizations manage the PII of their officers, officials, employees, and contractors. Additionally, it will provide actionable advice for these individuals to ensure their own safety. The bill broadly defines PII as any information that can directly or indirectly identify an individual, regardless of their citizenship status.