HOUSE BILL No. 6168

 

September 9, 2004, Introduced by Rep. Robertson and referred to the Committee on Criminal Justice.

        

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                 A bill to prohibit certain acts and practices concerning                          

                                                                                

    identity theft; to provide for the powers and duties of certain             

                                                                                

    state and local governmental officers and entities; to prescribe            

                                                                                

    penalties and provide remedies; and to repeal acts and parts of             

                                                                                

    acts.                                                                       

                                                                                

                THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:                      

                                                                                

1       Sec. 1.  This act shall be known and may be cited as the                    

                                                                                

2   "identity theft protection act".                                            

                                                                                

3       Sec. 3.  As used in this act:                                               

                                                                                

4       (a) "Credit card" means that term as defined in section 157m                

                                                                                

5   of the Michigan penal code, 1931 PA 328, MCL 750.157m.                      

                                                                                

6       (b) "Depository institution" means a state or nationally                    

                                                                                

7   chartered bank or a state or federally chartered savings and loan           

                                                                                

8   association, savings bank, or credit union.                                 

                                                                                

9       (c) "Financial institution" means a depository institution,                 

                                                                                


                                                                                

1   an affiliate of a depository institution, a licensee under the              

                                                                                

2   consumer financial services act, 1988 PA 161, MCL 487.2051 to               

                                                                                

3   487.2072, 1984 PA 379, MCL 493.101 to 493.114, the motor vehicle            

                                                                                

4   sales finance act, 1950 (Ex Sess) PA 27, MCL 492.101 to 492.141,            

                                                                                

5   the secondary mortgage loan act, 1981 PA 125, MCL 493.51 to                 

                                                                                

6   493.81, the mortgage brokers, lenders, and servicers licensing              

                                                                                

7   act, 1987 PA 173, MCL 445.1651 to 445.1684, or the regulatory               

                                                                                

8   loan act of 1963, 1939 PA 21, MCL 493.1 to 493.24, a seller under           

                                                                                

9   the home improvement finance act, 1965 PA 332, MCL 445.1101 to              

                                                                                

10  445.1431, or the retail installment sales act, 1966 PA 224, MCL             

                                                                                

11  445.851 to 445.873, or a person subject to subtitle A of title V            

                                                                                

12  of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley act, 15 USC 6801 to 6809.                         

                                                                                

13      (d) "Financial transaction device" means that term as defined               

                                                                                

14  in section 157m of the Michigan penal code, 1931 PA 328, MCL                

                                                                                

15  750.157m.                                                                   

                                                                                

16      (e) "Identity theft" means engaging in an act or conduct                    

                                                                                

17  prohibited in section 4(1).                                                 

                                                                                

18      (f) "Law enforcement agency" means that term as defined in                  

                                                                                

19  section 2804 of the public health code, 1978 PA 368, MCL                    

                                                                                

20  333.2804.                                                                   

                                                                                

21      (g) "Local registrar" means that term as defined in section                 

                                                                                

22  2804 of the public health code, 1978 PA 368, MCL 333.2804.                  

                                                                                

23      (h) "Medical records or information" includes, but is not                   

                                                                                

24  limited to, medical and mental health histories, reports,                   

                                                                                

25  summaries, diagnoses and prognoses, treatment and medication                

                                                                                

26  information, notes, entries, and x-rays and other imaging                   

                                                                                

27  records.                                                                    


                                                                                

1       (i) "Person" means an individual, partnership, corporation,                 

                                                                                

2   limited liability company, association, or other legal entity.              

                                                                                

3       (j) "Personal identifying information" means a name, number,                

                                                                                

4   or other information that is used for the purpose of identifying            

                                                                                

5   a specific person or providing access to a person's financial               

                                                                                

6   accounts, including, but not limited to, a person's name,                   

                                                                                

7   address, telephone number, driver license or state personal                 

                                                                                

8   identification card number, social security number, place of                

                                                                                

9   employment, employee identification number, employer or taxpayer            

                                                                                

10  identification number, government passport number, health                   

                                                                                

11  insurance identification number, mother's maiden name, demand               

                                                                                

12  deposit account number, savings account number, financial                   

                                                                                

13  transaction device account number or the person's account                   

                                                                                

14  password, stock or other security certificate or account number,            

                                                                                

15  credit card number, or medical records or information.                      

                                                                                

16      (k) "Trade or commerce" means that term as defined in section               

                                                                                

17  2 of the Michigan consumer protection act, 1971 PA 331, MCL                 

                                                                                

18  445.902.                                                                    

                                                                                

19                                                                               (l) "Vital record" means that term as defined in section 2805                       

                                                                                

20  of the public health code, 1978 PA 368, MCL 333.2805.                       

                                                                                

21      Sec. 4.  (1) A person shall not use or attempt to use                       

                                                                                

22  personal identifying information of another person without that             

                                                                                

23  other person's consent, either with the intent to defraud or                

                                                                                

24  otherwise violate the law, or by concealing, withholding, or                

                                                                                

25  misrepresenting the identity of the person using or attempting to           

                                                                                

26  use that information, to do any of the following:                           

                                                                                

27      (a) Obtain credit, goods, services, money, property, medical                


                                                                                

1   records or information, or employment.                                      

                                                                                

2       (b) Commit any other unlawful act.                                          

                                                                                

3       (2) Subsection (1) does not apply to any of the following                   

                                                                                

4   acts if committed to obtain credit, goods, services, money,                 

                                                                                

5   property, medical records or information, or employment:                    

                                                                                

6       (a) Giving a bona fide gift for or for the benefit or control               

                                                                                

7   of, or use or consumption by, the person whose personal                     

                                                                                

8   identifying information was used.  This subdivision does not                

                                                                                

9   apply if the act is committed with the intent to defraud or                 

                                                                                

10  commit another unlawful act.                                                

                                                                                

11      (b) An act in otherwise lawful pursuit or enforcement of a                  

                                                                                

12  person's legal rights, including an investigation of a crime or             

                                                                                

13  an audit, collection, investigation, or transfer of a debt,                 

                                                                                

14  claim, receivable, account, or interest in a receivable or                  

                                                                                

15  account.                                                                    

                                                                                

16      (c) An act authorized or required by state or federal law,                  

                                                                                

17  rule, regulation, or court order or rule.                                   

                                                                                

18      (d) An act committed by a person who has contracted with a                  

                                                                                

19  person described in subdivision (a), (b), or (c) to use any                 

                                                                                

20  personal identifying information, if the person has privacy                 

                                                                                

21  protections in place similar to those of the person described in            

                                                                                

22  that subdivision that makes the personal identifying information            

                                                                                

23  confidential.                                                               

                                                                                

24      (3) For purposes of subsection (1), "consent" does not                      

                                                                                

25  include authorizing use of personal identifying information if              

                                                                                

26  the person giving permission knows that the information will be             

                                                                                

27  used to commit an unlawful act.                                             


                                                                                

1       Sec. 5.  A person shall not do any of the following:                        

                                                                                

2       (a) Obtain or possess, or attempt to obtain or possess,                     

                                                                                

3   personal identifying information of another person with the                 

                                                                                

4   intent to use that information to commit identity theft or                  

                                                                                

5   another crime.                                                              

                                                                                

6       (b) Sell or transfer, or attempt to sell or transfer,                       

                                                                                

7   personal identifying information of another person if the person            

                                                                                

8   knows or has reason to know that the specific intended recipient            

                                                                                

9   will use, attempt to use, or further transfer the information to            

                                                                                

10  another person for the purpose of committing identity theft or              

                                                                                

11  another crime.                                                              

                                                                                

12      (c) Falsify a police report of identity theft, or knowingly                 

                                                                                

13  create, possess, or use a false police report of identity theft,            

                                                                                

14  described in section 23 of chapter XVI of the code of criminal              

                                                                                

15  procedure, 1927 PA 175, MCL 776.23.                                         

                                                                                

16      Sec. 6.  (1) Subject to subsection (6), a person who                        

                                                                                

17  violates section 4 or 5 is guilty of a felony punishable by                 

                                                                                

18  imprisonment for not more than 5 years or a fine of not more than           

                                                                                

19  $10,000.00, or both.                                                        

                                                                                

20      (2) Sections 4 and 5 apply whether an individual who is a                   

                                                                                

21  victim or intended victim of a violation of 1 of those sections             

                                                                                

22  is alive or deceased at the time of the violation.                          

                                                                                

23      (3) This section does not prohibit a person from being                      

                                                                                

24  charged with, convicted of, or sentenced for any other violation            

                                                                                

25  of law committed by that person using information obtained in               

                                                                                

26  violation of this section.                                                  

                                                                                

27      (4) Sections 4 and 5 do not apply to a person lawfully                      


                                                                                

1   obtaining or attempting to obtain personal identifying                      

                                                                                

2   information of another person pursuant to the discovery process             

                                                                                

3   in a civil or criminal action, an administrative proceeding, or             

                                                                                

4   an arbitration proceeding.                                                  

                                                                                

5       (5) Sections 4 and 5 do not apply to a person lawfully                      

                                                                                

6   transferring, obtaining, or attempting to obtain personal                   

                                                                                

7   identifying information of another person for the purpose of                

                                                                                

8   detecting, preventing, or deterring identity theft or another               

                                                                                

9   crime or the funding of a criminal activity.                                

                                                                                

10      (6) Subsection (1) does not apply to a violation of a statute               

                                                                                

11  or rule administered by a regulatory board, commission, or                  

                                                                                

12  officer acting under authority of this state or the United States           

                                                                                

13  that confers primary jurisdiction on that regulatory board,                 

                                                                                

14  commission, or officer to authorize, prohibit, or regulate the              

                                                                                

15  transactions and conduct of that person, including, but not                 

                                                                                

16  limited to, a state or federal statute or rule governing a                  

                                                                                

17  financial institution and the insurance code of 1956, 1956 PA               

                                                                                

18  218, MCL 500.100 to 500.8302, if the act is committed by a person           

                                                                                

19  subject to and regulated by that statute or rule, or by another             

                                                                                

20  person who has contracted with that person to use personal                  

                                                                                

21  identifying information and who has similar privacy protection              

                                                                                

22  policies in place similar to that person that makes the personal            

                                                                                

23  identifying information confidential.                                       

                                                                                

24      Sec. 7.  (1) A person shall not do any of the following in                  

                                                                                

25  the conduct of trade or commerce:                                           

                                                                                

26      (a) Deny credit or public utility service to or reduce the                  

                                                                                

27  credit limit of a consumer solely because the consumer was a                


                                                                                

1   victim of identity theft, if the person had prior knowledge that            

                                                                                

2   the consumer was a victim of identity theft.  A consumer is                 

                                                                                

3   presumed to be a victim of identity theft for the purposes of               

                                                                                

4   this subdivision if he or she possesses a valid police report               

                                                                                

5   provided under section 23 of chapter XVI of the code of criminal            

                                                                                

6   procedure, 1927 PA 175, MCL 776.23.                                         

                                                                                

7       (b) Solicit to extend credit to a consumer who does not have                

                                                                                

8   an existing line of credit, or has not had or applied for a line            

                                                                                

9   of credit within the preceding year, through the use of an                  

                                                                                

10  unsolicited check that includes personal identifying information            

                                                                                

11  other than the recipient's name, address, and a partial, encoded,           

                                                                                

12  or truncated personal identifying number.  In addition to any               

                                                                                

13  other penalty or remedy under this act or the Michigan consumer             

                                                                                

14  protection act, 1976 PA 331, MCL 445.901 to 445.922, a credit               

                                                                                

15  card issuer, financial institution, or other lender that violates           

                                                                                

16  this subdivision, and not the consumer, is liable for the amount            

                                                                                

17  of the instrument if the instrument is used by an unauthorized              

                                                                                

18  user and for any fees assessed to the consumer if the instrument            

                                                                                

19  is dishonored.                                                              

                                                                                

20      (c) Solicit to extend credit to a consumer who does not have                

                                                                                

21  a current credit card, or has not had or applied for a credit               

                                                                                

22  card within the preceding year, through the use of an unsolicited           

                                                                                

23  credit card sent to the consumer.  In addition to any other                 

                                                                                

24  penalty or remedy under this act or the Michigan consumer                   

                                                                                

25  protection act, 1976 PA 331, MCL 445.901 to 445.922, a credit               

                                                                                

26  card issuer, financial institution, or other lender that violates           

                                                                                

27  this subdivision, and not the consumer, is liable for any charges           


                                                                                

1   if the credit card is used by an unauthorized user and for any              

                                                                                

2   interest or finance charges assessed to the consumer.                       

                                                                                

3       (d) Extend credit to a consumer without exercising procedures               

                                                                                

4   to verify the identity of that consumer.  Compliance with                   

                                                                                

5   regulations issued by the United States department of treasury              

                                                                                

6   under section 326 of the USA patriot act of 2001, 31 USC 5318, is           

                                                                                

7   considered compliance with this subdivision.                                

                                                                                

8       (2) A person who knowingly or intentionally violates                        

                                                                                

9   subsection (1) is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by                     

                                                                                

10  imprisonment for not more than 30 days or a fine of not more than           

                                                                                

11  $100.00, or both.  This subsection does not affect the                      

                                                                                

12  availability of any civil remedy for a violation of this act, the           

                                                                                

13  Michigan consumer protection act, 1976 PA 331, MCL 445.901 to               

                                                                                

14  445.922, or any other state or federal law.                                 

                                                                                

15      Sec. 9.  A law enforcement agency, financial institution, or                

                                                                                

16  victim of identity theft may obtain copies of a vital record from           

                                                                                

17  a local registrar under part 28 of the public health code, 1978             

                                                                                

18  PA 368, MCL 333.2801 to 333.2899, if necessary to enforce this              

                                                                                

19  act or investigate or prevent identity theft.  The registrar may            

                                                                                

20  charge for the actual costs of copying the vital records obtained           

                                                                                

21  by a financial institution or victim of identity theft.                     

                                                                                

22      Sec. 13.  (1) There is created an identity theft advisory                   

                                                                                

23  board.  The 5 members of the identity theft advisory board are              

                                                                                

24  the governor or his or her designee, the attorney general or his            

                                                                                

25  or her designee, who shall serve as the chairperson of the                  

                                                                                

26  identity theft advisory board, the secretary of state or his or             

                                                                                

27  her designee, the majority leader of the senate or his or her               


                                                                                

1   designee, and the speaker of the house of representatives or his            

                                                                                

2   or her designee.  The board shall annually report to the standing           

                                                                                

3   committees of the senate and the house of representatives with              

                                                                                

4   jurisdiction over issues relating to identity theft with any                

                                                                                

5   recommendations for statutory changes.                                      

                                                                                

6       (2) The identity theft advisory board shall study data from                 

                                                                                

7   identity theft cases in this state.                                         

                                                                                

8       Enacting section 1.  This act takes effect March 1, 2005.                   

                                                                                

9       Enacting section 2.  Section 285 of the Michigan penal code,                

                                                                                

10  1931 PA 328, MCL 750.285, is repealed.