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S 2361 100th Congress Senate

Video Privacy Protection Act of 1988

Official title: A bill to amend title 18, United States Code, to preserve personal privacy with respect to the rental, purchase, or delivery of video tapes or similar audio vi… Show full official titleShow less

Official title: A bill to amend title 18, United States Code, to preserve personal privacy with respect to the rental, purchase, or delivery of video tapes or similar audio visual materials and the use of library materials or services.

Introduced: May 10, 1988 See on congress.gov
Crime and Law Enforcement Business and commerceBusiness recordsCivil Rights and LibertiesCivil actions and liability
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Communications and BroadcastingCourts and Civil ProcedureCrime preventionLibrariesRight of privacyVideo tape recording
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 Everywhere this bill has been 19 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Nov 5, 1988
Became Public Law No: 100-618.
Nov 5, 1988
Signed by President.
Oct 27, 1988
Presented to President.
Oct 27, 1988
Measure Signed in Senate.
Oct 21, 1988
By Senator Biden from Committee on Judiciary filed written report. Report No. 100-599.
Oct 19, 1988
Passed House by Voice Vote.
Oct 19, 1988
Passed/agreed to in House: Passed House by Voice Vote.
Oct 19, 1988
Called up by House Under Suspension of Rules.
Oct 19, 1988
Message on Senate action sent to the House.
Oct 14, 1988
Passed Senate with an amendment and an amendment to the Title by Voice Vote.
Oct 14, 1988
Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment and an amendment to the Title by Voice Vote.
Oct 14, 1988
Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
Oct 5, 1988
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 1075.
Oct 5, 1988
Committee on Judiciary. Reported to Senate by Senator Biden with an amendment in the nature of a substitute and an amendment to the title. Without written report.
Oct 5, 1988
Committee on Judiciary. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
Aug 10, 1988
Subcommittee on Technology and the Law. Approved for full committee consideration with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
Jun 6, 1988
Referred to Subcommittee on Technology and the Law.
May 10, 1988
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Judiciary.
May 10, 1988
Introduced in Senate
 Amendments to this bill 1

Amendments propose changes to this bill. Members vote on amendments separately before the final bill vote. An agreed amendment becomes part of the bill; a failed amendment does not.

1 agreed to

AmendmentSponsorPurposeStatusLatest action
SAMDT 3,702 – To make technical corrections to the committee substitute. Agreed to Oct 14, 1988
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 Latest action November 5, 1988

Became Public Law No: 100-618.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Video and Library Privacy Protection Act of 1988 - Amends the Federal criminal code to prohibit, with certain exceptions, the disclosure of video rental records and library borrower records. Permits the disclosure of such information: (1) to the consumer or patron; (2) with the written consent of the consumer or patron; or (3) pursuant to a court order.

Permits any person who is aggrieved by a violation of this Act to bring a civil action for damages. Establishes a two-year statute of limitations for such actions.

States that any such information unlawfully obtained may not be used in any court proceeding.

Requires the destruction of personally identifiable records within a specified period of time.

 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 2
 Cosponsors 1
All 1 Republican 1
R
Grassley, Chuck
Iowa · May 10, 1988
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). S. 2361: Video Privacy Protection Act of 1988. 100th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/100-S-2361/
MLA
"S. 2361: Video Privacy Protection Act of 1988." 100th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/100-S-2361/.
Bluebook (legal)
S. 2361, 100th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/100-S-2361/.
Markdown link
[S. 2361: Video Privacy Protection Act of 1988](https://openamerica.io/bill/100-S-2361/)
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