Another bill aimed at increasing the government’s protection of personal information has been introduced in the Senate.

The Federal Privacy and Data Protection Policy Act (S-2629), sponsored by Sen. Robert Torricelli (D-NJ), is the latest in a long string of bills aimed at enhancing the security of personal information in the files of various agencies to be introduced in the 107th Congress.

Unlike the 48 other privacy protection bills that have been introduced since January 2001, this bill would establish the post of privacy manager in every federal agency, who would be responsible for the “effective data protection and management” under its control.

When introducing the bill, Torricelli said it is designed to “ensure public confidence and trust in how [federal government] agencies collect, maintain, and use personal information” by providing for effective oversight of the collection and use of that information.

While noting that the government has been “collecting an increasing amount of personal information from and on individuals” since Sept. 11, he remarked that it was “essential that agencies properly manage, maintain, and secure personal information [in their files] from inappropriate use, disclosure, or dissemination to third parties.”

Besides protecting the privacy of personal information in an agency’s file, the privacy manager would be authorized to enact tough new protection rules.

Each agency would be required under the legislation to “conduct a detailed benchmark assessment” of its privacy protection practices “with regard to the collection, use, sharing, disclosure, transfer and security” of that information every three years.

At the same time it requires that the report be filed with the inspector general of each agency, who “shall contract with an independent third party” specializing in privacy matters but not linked to the agency in anyway, to evaluate the agency’s study and recommend any improvements.

The bill would also require the agency to make both its findings and the report of the independent reviewer available to the public.

Another bill aimed at increasing the government’s protection of personal information has been introduced in the Senate.

The Federal Privacy and Data Protection Policy Act (S-2629), sponsored by Sen. Robert Torricelli (D-NJ), is the latest in a long string of bills aimed at enhancing the security of personal information in the files of various agencies to be introduced in the 107th Congress.

Unlike the 48 other privacy protection bills that have been introduced since January 2001, this bill would establish the post of privacy manager in every federal agency, who would be responsible for the “effective data protection and management” under its control.

When introducing the bill, Torricelli said it is designed to “ensure public confidence and trust in how [federal government] agencies collect, maintain, and use personal information” by providing for effective oversight of the collection and use of that information.

While noting that the government has been “collecting an increasing amount of personal information from and on individuals” since Sept. 11, he remarked that it was “essential that agencies properly manage, maintain, and secure personal information [in their files] from inappropriate use, disclosure, or dissemination to third parties.”

Besides protecting the privacy of personal information in an agency’s file, the privacy manager would be authorized to enact tough new protection rules.

Each agency would be required under the legislation to “conduct a detailed benchmark assessment” of its privacy protection practices “with regard to the collection, use, sharing, disclosure, transfer and security” of that information every three years.

At the same time it requires that the report be filed with the inspector general of each agency, who “shall contract with an independent third party” specializing in privacy matters but not linked to the agency in anyway, to evaluate the agency’s study and recommend any improvements.

The bill would also require the agency to make both its findings and the report of the independent reviewer available to the public.