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H.B. 100

This document includes House Committee Amendments incorporated into the bill on Tue, Feb 12, 2013 at 10:53 AM by lerror. -->              1     

INTERNET PRIVACY AMENDMENTS

             2     
2013 GENERAL SESSION

             3     
STATE OF UTAH

             4     
Chief Sponsor: Stewart Barlow

             5     
Senate Sponsor: J. Stuart Adams

             6     
             7      LONG TITLE
             8      General Description:
             9          This bill modifies provisions addressing labor in general and higher education to enact
             10      protections for personal Internet accounts.
             11      Highlighted Provisions:
             12          This bill:
             13          .    enacts the Internet Employment Privacy Act, including:
             14              .    defining terms;
             15              .    prohibiting certain actions by an employer;
             16              .    permitting certain actions by an employer;
             17              .    providing that the chapter does not create certain duties; and
             18              .    providing private right of action; and
             19          .    enacts the Internet Postsecondary Education Privacy Act, including:
             20              .    defining terms;
             21              .    prohibiting certain actions by a postsecondary institution;
             22              .    permitting certain actions by a postsecondary institution;
             23              .    providing that the chapter does not create certain duties; and
             24              .    providing for private right of action.
             25      Money Appropriated in this Bill:
             26          None
             27      Other Special Clauses:


             28          None
             29      Utah Code Sections Affected:
             30      ENACTS:
             31          34-48-101, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             32          34-48-102, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             33          34-48-201, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             34          34-48-202, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             35          34-48-203, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             36          34-48-301, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             37          53B-24-101, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             38          53B-24-102, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             39          53B-24-201, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             40          53B-24-202, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             41          53B-24-203, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             42          53B-24-301, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             43     
             44      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             45          Section 1. Section 34-48-101 is enacted to read:
             46     
CHAPTER 48. INTERNET EMPLOYMENT PRIVACY ACT

             47     
Part 1. General Provisions

             48          34-48-101. Title.
             49          This chapter is known as the "Internet Employment Privacy Act."
             50          Section 2. Section 34-48-102 is enacted to read:
             51          34-48-102. Definitions.
             52          As used in this chapter:
             53          (1) "Access information" means a user name, password, login information, or other
             54      security information that protects access to a personal Internet account.
             55          (2) "Employer" means a person, including the state or a political subdivision of the
             56      state, that has one or more workers or operators employed in the same business, or in or about
             57      the same establishment, under any contract of hire, express or implied, oral or written.
             58          (3) "Personal Internet account" means an account created by way of a bounded system


             59      established by an Internet-based service that requires a user to input or store access information
             60      by way of an electronic device to view, create, use, or edit the user's account information,
             61      profile, display, communications, or stored data.
             62          Section 3. Section 34-48-201 is enacted to read:
             63     
Part 2. Prohibited and Permitted Activities

             64          34-48-201. Employer may not request access to personal Internet account.
             65          An employer may not do any of the following:
             66          (1) request an employee or an applicant for employment to grant access to, allow
             67      observation of, or disclose information that allows access to or observation of the employee's or
             68      applicant's personal Internet account; or
             69          (2) discharge, discipline, fail to hire, or otherwise penalize an employee or applicant
             70      for employment for failure to grant access to, allow observation of, or disclose information that
             71      allows access to or observation of the employee's or applicant's personal Internet account.
             72          Section 4. Section 34-48-202 is enacted to read:
             73          34-48-202. Permitted actions by an employer.
             74          (1) This chapter does not prohibit an employer from doing any of the following:
             75          (a) requesting or requiring an employee to disclose access information to the employer
             76      to gain access to or operate any of the following:
             77          (i) an electronic communications device paid for in whole or in part by the employer;
             78      or
             79          (ii) an account or service provided by the employer, obtained by virtue of the
             80      employee's employment relationship with the employer, or used for the employer's business
             81      purposes;
             82          (b) disciplining or discharging an employee for transferring the employer's proprietary
             83      or confidential information or financial data to an employee's personal Internet account
             83a      H. [ with ] without .H
             84      the employer's authorization;
             85          (c) conducting an investigation or requiring an employee to cooperate in an
             86      investigation in any of the following:
             87          (i) if there is specific information about activity on the employee's personal Internet
             88      account, for the purpose of ensuring compliance with applicable laws, regulatory requirements,
             89      or prohibitions against work-related employee misconduct; or


             90          (ii) if the employer has specific information about an unauthorized transfer of the
             91      employer's proprietary information, confidential information, or financial data to an employee's
             92      personal Internet account;
             93          (d) restricting or prohibiting an employee's access to certain websites while using an
             94      electronic communications device paid for in whole or in part by the employer or while using
             95      an employer's network or resources, in accordance with state and federal law; or
             96          (e) monitoring, reviewing, or accessing electronic data stored on an electronic
             97      communications device paid for in whole or in part by the employer, or traveling through or
             98      stored on an employer's network, in accordance with state and federal law.
             99          (2) This chapter does not prohibit or restrict an employer from complying with a duty
             100      to screen employees or applicants before hiring or to monitor or retain employee
             101      communications that is established under federal law or by a self-regulatory organization under
             102      the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, 15 U.S.C. Sec. 78c(a)(26).
             103          (3) This chapter does not prohibit or restrict an employer from viewing, accessing, or
             104      using information about an employee or applicant that can be obtained without any required
             105      access information or that is available in the public domain.
             106          Section 5. Section 34-48-203 is enacted to read:
             107          34-48-203. Chapter does not create duties.
             108          (1) This chapter does not create a duty for an employer to search or monitor the activity
             109      of a personal Internet account.
             110          (2) An employer is not liable under this chapter for failure to request or require that an
             111      employee or applicant for employment grant access to, allow observation of, or disclose
             112      information that allows access to or observation of the employee's or applicant for
             113      employment's personal Internet account.
             114          Section 6. Section 34-48-301 is enacted to read:
             115     
Part 3. Remedy

             116          34-48-301. Private right of action.
             117          (1) A person aggrieved by a violation of this chapter may bring a civil cause of action
             118      against an employer in a court of competent jurisdiction.
             119          (2) In an action brought under Subsection (1), if the court finds a violation of this
             120      chapter, the court shall award the aggrieved person H. not more than .H $500.


             121          Section 7. Section 53B-24-101 is enacted to read:
             122     
CHAPTER 24. INTERNET POSTSECONDARY INSTITUTION PRIVACY ACT

             123     
Part 1. General Provisions

             124          53B-24-101. Title.
             125          This chapter is known as the "Internet Postsecondary Institution Privacy Act."
             126          Section 8. Section 53B-24-102 is enacted to read:
             127          53B-24-102. Definitions.
             128          As used in this chapter:
             129          (1) "Access information" means a user name, password, login information, or other
             130      security information that protects access to a personal Internet account.
             131          (2) "Personal Internet account" means an account created by way of a bounded system
             132      established by an Internet-based service that requires a user to input or store access information
             133      by way of an electronic device to view, create, use, or edit the user's account information,
             134      profile, display, communications, or stored data.
             135          (3) "Postsecondary institution" means an institution that provides educational services
             136      offered primarily to persons who have completed or terminated their secondary or high school
             137      education or who are beyond the age of compulsory school attendance.
             138          Section 9. Section 53B-24-201 is enacted to read:
             139     
Part 2. Prohibited and Permitted Activities

             140          53B-24-201. Prohibited activities.
             141          A postsecondary institution may not do any of the following:
             142          (1) request a student or prospective student to grant access to, allow observation of, or
             143      disclose information that allows access to or observation of the student's or prospective
             144      student's personal Internet account; or
             145          (2) expel, discipline, fail to admit, or otherwise penalize a student or prospective
             146      student for failure to grant access to, allow observation of, or disclose information that allows
             147      access to or observation of the student's or prospective student's personal Internet account.
             148          Section 10. Section 53B-24-202 is enacted to read:
             149          53B-24-202. Permitted activities.
             150          (1) This chapter does not prohibit a postsecondary institution from requesting or
             151      requiring a student to disclose access information to the postsecondary institution to gain


             152      access to or operate the following:
             153          (a) an electronic communications device paid for in whole or in part by the
             154      postsecondary institution; or
             155          (b) an account or service provided by the postsecondary institution that is either
             156      obtained by virtue of the student's admission to the postsecondary institution or used by the
             157      student for educational purposes.
             158          (2) This chapter does not prohibit or restrict a postsecondary institution from viewing,
             159      accessing, or using information about a student or prospective student that can be obtained
             160      without required access information or that is available in the public domain.
             161          Section 11. Section 53B-24-203 is enacted to read:
             162          53B-24-203. Duties not created.
             163          (1) This chapter does not create a duty for a postsecondary institution to search or
             164      monitor the activity of a personal Internet account.
             165          (2) A postsecondary institution is not liable under this chapter for failure to request or
             166      require that a student or prospective student grant access to, allow observation of, or disclose
             167      information that allows access to or observation of the student's or prospective student's
             168      personal Internet account.
             169          Section 12. Section 53B-24-301 is enacted to read:
             170     
Part 3. Remedy

             171          53B-24-301. Private right of action.
             172          (1) A person aggrieved by a violation of this chapter may bring a civil cause of action
             173      against a postsecondary institution in a court of competent jurisdiction.
             174          (2) In an action brought under Subsection (1), if the court finds a violation of this
             175      chapter, the court shall award the aggrieved person H. not more than .H $500.




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