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First Substitute H.B. 165

Senator John L. Valentine proposes the following substitute bill:


             1     
CHILD PROTECTION REGISTRY

             2     
2004 GENERAL SESSION

             3     
STATE OF UTAH

             4     
Sponsor: Michael R. Styler

             5     
             6      LONG TITLE
             7      General Description:
             8          This bill enacts provisions within the Commerce and Trade Code related to a child
             9      protection registry.
             10      Highlighted Provisions:
             11          This bill:
             12          .    defines terms;
             13          .    requires the Division of Consumer Protection to establish a registry of contact
             14      points for minors;
             15          .    prohibits a person from sending certain materials to a registered contact point; and
             16          .    provides criminal, administrative, and civil penalties.
             17      Monies Appropriated in this Bill:
             18          None
             19      Other Special Clauses:
             20          This bill takes effect on July 1, 2005.
             21      Utah Code Sections Affected:
             22      ENACTS:
             23          13-39-101, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             24          13-39-102, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             25          13-39-201, Utah Code Annotated 1953



             26          13-39-202, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             27          13-39-203, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             28          13-39-301, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             29          13-39-302, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             30          13-39-303, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             31          13-39-304, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             32     
             33      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             34          Section 1. Section 13-39-101 is enacted to read:
             35     
CHAPTER 39. CHILD PROTECTION REGISTRY

             36     
Part 1. General Provisions

             37          13-39-101. Title.
             38          This chapter is known as the "Child Protection Registry."
             39          Section 2. Section 13-39-102 is enacted to read:
             40          13-39-102. Definitions.
             41          As used in this chapter:
             42          (1) "Contact point" means an electronic identification to which a communication may
             43      be sent, including:
             44          (a) an email address; or
             45          (b) subject to Subsection 13-39-201 (2):
             46          (i) an instant message identity, subject to rules made by the division under Subsection
             47      13-39-203 (1);
             48          (ii) a telephone number;
             49          (iii) a facsimile number; or
             50          (iv) an electronic address:
             51          (A) similar to a contact point listed in this Subsection (1); and
             52          (B) defined as a contact point by rule made by the division under Subsection
             53      13-39-203 (1).
             54          (2) "Division" means the Division of Consumer Protection in the Department of
             55      Commerce.
             56          (3) "Registry" means the child protection registry established in Section 13-39-201 .



             57          Section 3. Section 13-39-201 is enacted to read:
             58     
Part 2. Operation of the Child Protection Registry

             59          13-39-201. Establishment of child protection registry.
             60          (1) The division shall:
             61          (a) establish and operate a child protection registry to compile and secure a list of
             62      contact points the division has received pursuant to this section; or
             63          (b) contract with a third party to establish and secure the registry described in
             64      Subsection (1)(a).
             65          (2) (a) The division shall implement the registry described in this section with respect
             66      to email addresses beginning on July 1, 2005.
             67          (b) The division shall implement the registry described in this section with respect to
             68      instant message identities after:
             69          (i) the division has determined to the satisfaction of the division the security of the
             70      registry described in this section with respect to email addresses; and
             71          (ii) the division has reported to the Public Utilities and Technology Interim Committee
             72      the intention of the division to implement the registry described in this section with respect to
             73      instant message identities.
             74          (c) The division shall implement the registry described in this section with respect to
             75      telephone numbers, facsimile numbers, and electronic addresses described in Subsection
             76      13-39-102 (1)(b)(iv) after:
             77          (i) the division has determined to the satisfaction of the division the security of the
             78      registry described in this section with respect to instant message identities; and
             79          (ii) the division has reported to the Public Utilities and Technology Interim Committee
             80      the intention of the division to implement the registry described in this section with respect to
             81      telephone numbers, facsimile numbers, and electronic addresses described in Subsection
             82      13-39-102 (1)(b)(iv).
             83          (3) (a) A person may register a contact point with the division pursuant to rules
             84      established by the division under Subsection 13-39-203 (1) if:
             85          (i) the contact point belongs to a minor; or
             86          (ii) a minor has access to the contact point.
             87          (b) A school or other institution that primarily serves minors may register its domain


             88      name with the division pursuant to rules made by the division under Subsection 13-39-203 (1).
             89          (c) The division shall provide a disclosure to a person who registers a contact point
             90      under this section that reads: "Under law, theft of a contact point from the Child Protection
             91      Registry is a Class B Felony. While every attempt will be made to secure the Child Protection
             92      Registry, registrants and their guardians should be aware that their contact points may risk
             93      being misappropriated by marketers who choose to disobey the law."
             94          (4) A person desiring to send a communication described in Subsection 13-39-202 (1)
             95      to a contact point or domain shall:
             96          (a) use a mechanism established by rule made by the division under Subsection
             97      13-39-203 (2); and
             98          (b) pay a fee for use of the mechanism described in Subsection (4)(a) determined by
             99      the division in accordance with Section 63-38-3.2 .
             100          Section 4. Section 13-39-202 is enacted to read:
             101          13-39-202. Prohibition of sending certain materials to a registered contact point.
             102          (1) A person may not send, cause to be sent, or conspire with a third party to send a
             103      communication to a contact point or domain that has been registered for more than 30 calendar
             104      days with the division under Section 13-39-201 if the communication:
             105          (a) advertises a product or service that a minor is prohibited by law from purchasing; or
             106          (b) contains or advertises material that is harmful to minors, as defined in Section
             107      76-10-1201 .
             108          (2) The consent of a minor is not a defense to a violation of this section.
             109          (3) An Internet service provider does not violate this section for solely transmitting a
             110      message across the network of the Internet service provider.
             111          Section 5. Section 13-39-203 is enacted to read:
             112          13-39-203. Rulemaking authority.
             113          In accordance with Title 63, Chapter 46a, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, the
             114      division shall make rules to establish procedures under which:
             115          (1) (a) a person may register a contact point with the division under Section 13-39-201 ,
             116      including:
             117          (i) the information necessary to register an instant message identity; and
             118          (ii) for purposes of Subsection 13-39-102 (1)(b)(iv), an electronic address that is similar


             119      to a contact point listed in Subsection 13-39-102 (1); and
             120          (b) a school or other institution that primarily serves minors may register its domain
             121      name with the division under Section 13-39-201 ; and
             122          (2) the division shall:
             123          (a) provide a mechanism under which a person described in Subsection 13-39-201 (4)
             124      may verify compliance with the registry to remove registered contact points from the person's
             125      communications; and
             126          (b) establish the mechanism described in Subsection (2)(a) in a manner that protects
             127      the privacy and security of a contact point registered with the division under Section
             128      13-39-201 .
             129          Section 6. Section 13-39-301 is enacted to read:
             130     
Part 3. Enforcement

             131          13-39-301. Criminal penalty.
             132          (1) A person who violates Section 13-39-202 commits a computer crime and:
             133          (a) is guilty of a class B misdemeanor for a first offense with respect to a contact point
             134      registered with the division under Subsection 13-39-201 (3)(a); and
             135          (b) is guilty of a class A misdemeanor:
             136          (i) for each subsequent violation with respect to a contact point registered with the
             137      division under Subsection 13-39-201 (3)(a); or
             138          (ii) for each violation with respect to a domain name registered with the division under
             139      Subsection 13-39-201 (3)(b).
             140          (2) A person commits a computer crime and is guilty of a second degree felony if the
             141      person:
             142          (a) uses information obtained from the division under this chapter to violate Section
             143      13-39-202 ;
             144          (b) improperly:
             145          (i) obtains contact points from the registry; or
             146          (ii) attempts to obtain contact points from the registry; or
             147          (c) uses, or transfers to a third party to use, information from the registry to send a
             148      solicitation.
             149          (3) A criminal conviction or penalty under this section does not relieve a person from


             150      civil liability in an action under Section 13-39-302 .
             151          (4) Each communication sent in violation of Section 13-39-202 is a separate offense
             152      under this section.
             153          Section 7. Section 13-39-302 is enacted to read:
             154          13-39-302. Civil action for violation.
             155          (1) For a violation of Section 13-39-202 , an action may be brought by:
             156          (a) a user of a contact point or domain name registered with the division under Section
             157      13-39-201 ; or
             158          (b) a legal guardian of a user described in Subsection (1)(a).
             159          (2) In each action under Subsection (1):
             160          (a) a person described in Subsection (1) may recover the greater of:
             161          (i) actual damages; or
             162          (ii) $1,000 for each communication sent in violation of Section 13-39-202 ; and
             163          (b) the prevailing party shall be awarded costs and reasonable attorney fees.
             164          Section 8. Section 13-39-303 is enacted to read:
             165          13-39-303. Administrative enforcement.
             166          (1) The division shall:
             167          (a) investigate violations of this chapter; and
             168          (b) assess cease and desist orders and administrative fines under this section for
             169      violations of this chapter.
             170          (2) A person who violates this chapter is subject to:
             171          (a) a cease and desist order; and
             172          (b) an administrative fine of not more than $2,500 for each separate communication
             173      sent in violation of Section 13-39-202 .
             174          (3) (a) A person who intentionally violates this chapter is subject to an administrative
             175      fine of not more than $5,000 for each communication intentionally sent in violation of Section
             176      13-39-202 .
             177          (b) For purposes of this section, a person intentionally violates this chapter if the
             178      violation occurs after the division, attorney general, or a district or county attorney notifies the
             179      person by certified mail that the person is in violation of this chapter.
             180          (4) All administrative fines collected under this section shall be deposited in the


             181      Consumer Protection Education and Training Fund created in Section 13-2-8 .
             182          Section 9. Section 13-39-304 is enacted to read:
             183          13-39-304. Defenses.
             184          It is a defense to an action brought under this chapter that a person:
             185          (1) reasonably relied on the mechanism established by the division under Subsection
             186      13-39-203 (2); and
             187          (2) took reasonable measures to comply with this chapter.
             188          Section 10. Effective date.
             189          This bill takes effect on July 1, 2005.




Legislative Review Note
    as of 3-2-04 10:35 AM


This bill regulates, among other things, the sending of certain commercial email messages to
addresses contained on a registry. Congress recently passed the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 that,
with some exemptions, preempts a state from regulating commercial email. The act permits
state regulations of commercial email that:
        .    prohibit falsity or deception;
        .    are not specific to email; or
        .    relate to acts of fraud or computer crime.
If this bill were challenged, a court would evaluate whether this bill falls into one of those
exemptions.

Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel


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