State lawmakers have passed a bill that has implications for many Maryland businesses.

Senate Bill 194 / House Bill 208, titled “Consumer Protection — Personal Information Protection Act,” outlines how certain companies should protect their customers’ data and how they must notify customers in the event of a security breach.

The Maryland Chamber of Commerce has outlined what steps are required under the legislation, which takes effect on Jan. 1, 2008. Get details about the requirements on the Chamber’s blog. The Chamber supported the legislation, saying it would “help safeguard personal information of customers and provide reasonable standards for businesses to notify customers if there is a security breach in data containing personal information.”