Synopsis
Public Funds, Public Trust proposes a federal condition on grants, contracts, and subsidies: organizations receiving public money would be prohibited from sharing personally identifiable information with third parties for nonessential commercial purposes. Necessary transfers for law enforcement, public-health reporting, and approved academic research would remain possible under defined safeguards.
The problem it responds to
Universities, hospitals, social-service agencies, contractors, and other publicly supported entities collect large quantities of personal data. Fragmented sector-specific rules leave gaps in consent, enforcement, and accountability.
What the work contributes
- Ties privacy obligations directly to the receipt of public funds.
- Places enforcement with distributing agencies in coordination with the Department of Justice.
- Uses suspension of funding, penalties, remediation, and compliance reporting as enforcement mechanisms.
- Identifies implementation challenges involving agency coordination, legal conflicts, technical capacity, and federalism.
Development
- Written as a concise legislative-policy concept.
Keywords