BILL REQ. #:  H-1480.1 

Read first time 02/09/2005.   Referred to Committee on Technology, Energy & Communications.

     AN ACT Relating to electronic mail fraud; amending RCW 19.190.010; adding new sections to chapter 19.190 RCW; and prescribing penalties.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Sec. 1   RCW 19.190.010 and 2003 c 137 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:
     The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
     (1) "Assist the transmission" means actions taken by a person to provide substantial assistance or support which enables any person to formulate, compose, send, originate, initiate, or transmit a commercial electronic mail message or a commercial electronic text message when the person providing the assistance knows or consciously avoids knowing that the initiator of the commercial electronic mail message or the commercial electronic text message is engaged, or intends to engage, in any practice that violates the consumer protection act.
     (2) "Commercial electronic mail message" means an electronic mail message sent for the purpose of promoting real property, goods, or services for sale or lease. It does not mean an electronic mail message to which an interactive computer service provider has attached an advertisement in exchange for free use of an electronic mail account, when the sender has agreed to such an arrangement.
     (3) "Commercial electronic text message" means an electronic text message sent to promote real property, goods, or services for sale or lease.
     (4) "Electronic mail address" means a destination, commonly expressed as a string of characters, to which electronic mail may be sent or delivered.
     (5) "Electronic mail message" means an electronic message sent to an electronic mail address and a reference to an internet domain, whether or not displayed, to which an electronic mail message can be sent or delivered.
     (6) "Electronic text message" means a text message sent to a cellular telephone or pager equipped with short message service or any similar capability, whether the message is initiated as a short message service message or as an electronic mail message.
     (((6))) (7) "Initiate the transmission" refers to the action by the original sender of an electronic mail message or an electronic text message, not to the action by any intervening interactive computer service or wireless network that may handle or retransmit the message, unless such intervening interactive computer service assists in the transmission of an electronic mail message when it knows, or consciously avoids knowing, that the person initiating the transmission is engaged, or intends to engage, in any act or practice that violates the consumer protection act.
     (((7))) (8) "Interactive computer service" means any information service, system, or access software provider that provides or enables computer access by multiple users to a computer server, including specifically a service or system that provides access to the internet and such systems operated or services offered by libraries or educational institutions.
     (((8))) (9) "Internet" means collectively the myriad of computer and telecommunications facilities, including equipment and operating software, that comprise the interconnected world wide network of networks that employ the transmission control protocol/internet protocol, or any predecessor or successor protocols to such protocol, to communicate information of all kinds by wire or radio.
     (10) "Internet domain name" refers to a globally unique, hierarchical reference to an internet host or service, assigned through centralized internet naming authorities, comprising a series of character strings separated by periods, with the right-most string specifying the top of the hierarchy.
     (((9))) (11) "Person" means a person, corporation, partnership, or association.
     (12) "Personally identifying information" means an individual's: (a) Social security number; (b) driver's license number; (c) bank account number; (d) credit or debit card number; (e) personal identification number; (f) automated or electronic signature; (g) unique biometric data; (h) account passwords; or (i) any other piece of information that can be used to access an individual's financial accounts or to obtain goods or services.
     (13) "Web page" means a location, with respect to the world wide web, that has a single uniform resource locator or other single location with respect to the internet.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 19.190 RCW to read as follows:
     No person may solicit, request, or take any action to induce another person to provide personally identifying information by means of a web page, electronic mail message, or otherwise using the internet by representing oneself, either directly or by implication, to be a business or individual without the authority or approval of such business or individual.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   A new section is added to chapter 19.190 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) Damages to a consumer resulting from the practices prohibited by this chapter are up to five hundred dollars per violation, or actual damages, whichever is greater.
     (2) A person engaged in the business of providing internet access service to the public, an owner of a web page, or trademark owner who is adversely affected by reason of a violation of section 2 of this act, may bring an action against a person who violates section 2 of this act to:
     (a) Enjoin further violations of section 2 of this act; and
     (b) Recover the greater of actual damages or five thousand dollars per violation of section 2 of this act.
     (3) In an action under subsection (2) of this section, a court may increase the damages up to three times the damages allowed by subsection (2) of this section if the defendant has engaged in a pattern and practice of violating this section. The court may award costs and reasonable attorneys' fees to a prevailing party.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4   A new section is added to chapter 19.190 RCW to read as follows:
     It is a violation of the consumer protection act, chapter 19.86 RCW, to conspire with another person to engage in any act that violates the provisions of this chapter.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 5   A new section is added to chapter 19.190 RCW to read as follows:
     The legislature finds that the practices covered by this chapter are matters vitally affecting the public interest for the purpose of applying the consumer protection act, chapter 19.86 RCW. A violation of this chapter is not reasonable in relation to the development and preservation of business and is an unfair or deceptive act in trade or commerce and an unfair method of competition for the purpose of applying the consumer protection act, chapter 19.86 RCW.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 6   A new section is added to chapter 19.190 RCW to read as follows:
     It is the intent of the legislature that this chapter is a matter of statewide concern. This chapter supersedes and preempts all rules, regulations, codes, ordinances, and other laws adopted by a city, county, city and county, municipality, or local agency regarding the practices covered by this chapter and notices to consumers from computer software providers regarding information collection.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 7   If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected.