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H.B. 100 Enrolled

             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 a 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 a 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) "Adverse action" means to discharge, threaten, or otherwise discriminate against an
             54      employee in any manner that affects the employee's employment, including compensation,
             55      terms, conditions, location, rights, immunities, promotions, or privileges.
             56          (2) "Employer" means a person, including the state or a political subdivision of the
             57      state, that has one or more workers or operators employed in the same business, or in or about


             58      the same establishment, under any contract of hire, express or implied, oral or written.
             59          (3) "Law enforcement agency" is as defined in Section 53-1-102 .
             60          (4) (a) "Personal Internet account" means an online account that is used by an
             61      employee or applicant exclusively for personal communications unrelated to any business
             62      purpose of the employer.
             63          (b) "Personal Internet account" does not include an account created, maintained, used,
             64      or accessed by an employee or applicant for business related communications or for a business
             65      purpose of the employer.
             66          Section 3. Section 34-48-201 is enacted to read:
             67     
Part 2. Prohibited and Permitted Activities

             68          34-48-201. Employer may not request disclosure of information related to
             69      personal Internet account.
             70          An employer may not do any of the following:
             71          (1) request an employee or an applicant for employment to disclose a username and
             72      password, or a password that allows access to the employee's or applicant's personal Internet
             73      account; or
             74          (2) take adverse action, fail to hire, or otherwise penalize an employee or applicant for
             75      employment for failure to disclose information described in Subsection (1).
             76          Section 4. Section 34-48-202 is enacted to read:
             77          34-48-202. Permitted actions by an employer.
             78          (1) This chapter does not prohibit an employer from doing any of the following:
             79          (a) requesting or requiring an employee to disclose a username or password required
             80      only to gain access to the following:
             81          (i) an electronic communications device supplied by or paid for in whole or in part by
             82      the employer; or
             83          (ii) an account or service provided by the employer, obtained by virtue of the
             84      employee's employment relationship with the employer, and used for the employer's business
             85      purposes;


             86          (b) disciplining or discharging an employee for transferring the employer's proprietary
             87      or confidential information or financial data to an employee's personal Internet account without
             88      the employer's authorization;
             89          (c) conducting an investigation or requiring an employee to cooperate in an
             90      investigation in any of the following:
             91          (i) if there is specific information about activity on the employee's personal Internet
             92      account, for the purpose of ensuring compliance with applicable laws, regulatory requirements,
             93      or prohibitions against work-related employee misconduct; or
             94          (ii) if the employer has specific information about an unauthorized transfer of the
             95      employer's proprietary information, confidential information, or financial data to an employee's
             96      personal Internet account;
             97          (d) restricting or prohibiting an employee's access to certain websites while using an
             98      electronic communications device supplied by, or paid for in whole or in part by, the employer
             99      or while using an employer's network or resources, in accordance with state and federal law; or
             100          (e) monitoring, reviewing, accessing, or blocking electronic data stored on an
             101      electronic communications device supplied by, or paid for in whole or in part by, the employer,
             102      or stored on an employer's network, in accordance with state and federal law.
             103          (2) Conducting an investigation or requiring an employee to cooperate in an
             104      investigation as specified in Subsection (1)(c) includes requiring the employee to share the
             105      content that has been reported in order to make a factual determination.
             106          (3) This chapter does not prohibit or restrict an employer from complying with a duty
             107      to screen employees or applicants before hiring or to monitor or retain employee
             108      communications that is established under federal law, by a self-regulatory organization under
             109      the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, 15 U.S.C. Sec. 78c(a)(26), or in the course of a law
             110      enforcement employment application or law enforcement officer conduct investigation
             111      performed by a law enforcement agency.
             112          (4) This chapter does not prohibit or restrict an employer from viewing, accessing, or
             113      using information about an employee or applicant that can be obtained without the information


             114      described in Subsection 34A-48-201 (1) or that is available in the public domain.
             115          Section 5. Section 34-48-203 is enacted to read:
             116          34-48-203. Chapter does not create duties.
             117          (1) This chapter does not create a duty for an employer to search or monitor the activity
             118      of a personal Internet account.
             119          (2) An employer is not liable under this chapter for failure to request or require that an
             120      employee or applicant for employment grant access to, allow observation of, or disclose
             121      information that allows access to or observation of the employee's or applicant for
             122      employment's personal Internet account.
             123          Section 6. Section 34-48-301 is enacted to read:
             124     
Part 3. Remedy

             125          34-48-301. Private right of action.
             126          (1) A person aggrieved by a violation of this chapter may bring a civil cause of action
             127      against an employer in a court of competent jurisdiction.
             128          (2) In an action brought under Subsection (1), if the court finds a violation of this
             129      chapter, the court shall award the aggrieved person not more than $500.
             130          Section 7. Section 53B-24-101 is enacted to read:
             131     
CHAPTER 24. INTERNET POSTSECONDARY INSTITUTION PRIVACY ACT

             132     
Part 1. General Provisions

             133          53B-24-101. Title.
             134          This chapter is known as the "Internet Postsecondary Institution Privacy Act."
             135          Section 8. Section 53B-24-102 is enacted to read:
             136          53B-24-102. Definitions.
             137          As used in this chapter:
             138          (1) (a) "Personal Internet account" means an online account that is used by a student or
             139      prospective student exclusively for personal communications unrelated to any purpose of the
             140      postsecondary institution.
             141          (b) "Personal Internet account" does not include an account created, maintained, used,


             142      or accessed by a student or prospective student for education related communications or for an
             143      educational purpose of the postsecondary institution.
             144          (2) "Postsecondary institution" means an institution that provides educational services
             145      offered primarily to persons who have completed or terminated their secondary or high school
             146      education or who are beyond the age of compulsory school attendance.
             147          Section 9. Section 53B-24-201 is enacted to read:
             148     
Part 2. Prohibited and Permitted Activities

             149          53B-24-201. Prohibited activities.
             150          A postsecondary institution may not do any of the following:
             151          (1) request a student or prospective student to disclose a username and password, or a
             152      password that allows access to the student's or prospective student's personal Internet account;
             153      or
             154          (2) expel, discipline, fail to admit, or otherwise penalize a student or prospective
             155      student for failure to disclose information specified in Subsection (1).
             156          Section 10. Section 53B-24-202 is enacted to read:
             157          53B-24-202. Permitted activities.
             158          (1) This chapter does not prohibit a postsecondary institution from requesting or
             159      requiring a student to disclose a username or password to gain access to or operate the
             160      following:
             161          (a) an electronic communications device supplied by or paid for in whole or in part by
             162      the postsecondary institution; or
             163          (b) an account or service provided by the postsecondary institution that is either
             164      obtained by virtue of the student's admission to the postsecondary institution or used by the
             165      student for educational purposes.
             166          (2) This chapter does not prohibit or restrict a postsecondary institution from viewing,
             167      accessing, or using information about a student or prospective student that can be obtained
             168      without the information described in Subsection 53B-24-201 (1) or that is available in the
             169      public domain.


             170          Section 11. Section 53B-24-203 is enacted to read:
             171          53B-24-203. Duties not created.
             172          (1) This chapter does not create a duty for a postsecondary institution to search or
             173      monitor the activity of a personal Internet account.
             174          (2) A postsecondary institution is not liable under this chapter for failure to request or
             175      require that a student or prospective student grant access to, allow observation of, or disclose
             176      information that allows access to or observation of the student's or prospective student's
             177      personal Internet account.
             178          Section 12. Section 53B-24-301 is enacted to read:
             179     
Part 3. Remedy

             180          53B-24-301. Private right of action.
             181          (1) A person aggrieved by a violation of this chapter may bring a civil cause of action
             182      against a postsecondary institution in a court of competent jurisdiction.
             183          (2) In an action brought under Subsection (1), if the court finds a violation of this
             184      chapter, the court shall award the aggrieved person not more than $500.


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