SENATE BILL No. 792

 

 

October 23, 2003, Introduced by Senators BISHOP, BRATER, BIRKHOLZ, ALLEN, GILBERT, VAN WOERKOM, KUIPERS, JELINEK, GARCIA, HAMMERSTROM, HARDIMAN, JOHNSON, STAMAS, CLARK-COLEMAN, SCOTT, CHERRY, BERNERO, LELAND, McMANUS, JACOBS, OLSHOVE, PRUSI, BROWN, CASSIS, CROPSEY, SWITALSKI, GEORGE and EMERSON and referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

 

 

        

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                 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; to require the promulgation of              

                                                                                

    rules; 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) "Financial institution" means that term as defined in                   

                                                                                

5   section 2815a of the public health code, 1978 PA 368, MCL                   

                                                                                

6   333.2815a.                                                                  

                                                                                

7       (b) "Identity theft" means any unauthorized use of another                  

                                                                                

8   person's personal identifying information to obtain credit,                 

                                                                                

9   goods, services, money, property, or employment or to commit any            


                                                                                

1   illegal act.                                                                

                                                                                

2       (c) "Law enforcement agency" means that term as defined in                  

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

4   333.2804.                                                                   

                                                                                

5       (d) "Local registrar" means that term as defined in section                 

                                                                                

6   2804 of the public health code, 1978 PA 368, MCL 333.2804.                  

                                                                                

7       (e) "Person" means an individual, partnership, corporation,                 

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

9       (f) "Personal identifying information" means a person's name,               

                                                                                

10  address, telephone number, driver license number, social security           

                                                                                

11  number, place of employment, employee identification number,                

                                                                                

12  mother's maiden name, demand deposit account number, savings                

                                                                                

13  account number, credit card number, or medical records or                   

                                                                                

14  information.                                                                

                                                                                

15      (g) "Trade or commerce" means that term as defined in section               

                                                                                

16  3 of the Michigan consumer protection act, 1971 PA 331, MCL                 

                                                                                

17  445.902.                                                                    

                                                                                

18      (h) "Victim of identity theft" means a person whose personal                

                                                                                

19  identifying information is used by another without authorization            

                                                                                

20  for any of the following:                                                   

                                                                                

21                                                                               (i) To obtain credit, goods, services, money, property, or                          

                                                                                

22  employment.                                                                 

                                                                                

23      (ii) To commit an illegal act.                                               

                                                                                

24      (i) "Vital record" means that term as defined in section 2805               

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

26      Sec. 5.  (1) A person shall not commit identity theft or                    

                                                                                

27  obtain or attempt to obtain personal identifying information of             


                                                                                

1   another person with the intent to use that information to commit            

                                                                                

2   identity theft or another illegal act.                                      

                                                                                

3       (2) A person who violates this section is guilty of a felony                

                                                                                

4   punishable by imprisonment for not more than 5 years or a fine of           

                                                                                

5   not more than $10,000.00, or both.                                          

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

8   of law committed by that person using information obtained in               

                                                                                

9   violation of this section.                                                  

                                                                                

10      (4) This section does not apply to a person who obtains or                  

                                                                                

11  attempts to obtain personal identifying information of another              

                                                                                

12  person pursuant to the discovery process of a civil action, an              

                                                                                

13  administrative proceeding, or an arbitration proceeding.                    

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

15  the conduct of trade or commerce:                                           

                                                                                

16      (a) Deny credit to or reduce the credit limit of a consumer                 

                                                                                

17  solely because the consumer was a victim of identity theft.                 

                                                                                

18      (b) Solicit to extend credit to a consumer through the use of               

                                                                                

19  an unsolicited check, unsolicited convenience check, or other               

                                                                                

20  unsolicited negotiable instrument sent by a credit card issuer,             

                                                                                

21  financial institution, or other lender to the consumer.  In                 

                                                                                

22  addition to any other penalty or remedy under this act or the               

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

24  445.922, a credit card issuer, financial institution, or other              

                                                                                

25  lender that violates this subdivision, and not the consumer, is             

                                                                                

26  liable for the amount of the instrument if the instrument is used           

                                                                                

27  and any fees if the instrument is dishonored because of                     


                                                                                

1   insufficient funds.                                                         

                                                                                

2       (c) Solicit to extend credit to a consumer through the use of               

                                                                                

3   an unsolicited credit card sent by a credit card issuer,                    

                                                                                

4   financial institution, or other lender to the consumer.  In                 

                                                                                

5   addition to any other penalty or remedy under this act or the               

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

7   445.922, a credit card issuer, financial institution, or other              

                                                                                

8   lender that violates this subdivision, and not the consumer, is             

                                                                                

9   liable for any charges if the credit card is used and any                   

                                                                                

10  interest or finance charges.                                                

                                                                                

11      (d) Fail to verify the identity of an individual submitting a               

                                                                                

12  credit application to the person before providing credit to the             

                                                                                

13  individual, by at least examining 3 pieces of identification,               

                                                                                

14  including at least 1 piece of identification that contains the              

                                                                                

15  individual's photograph and signature.                                      

                                                                                

16      (2) A person who knowingly or intentionally violates                        

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

19  $100.00, or both.  This subsection does not affect the                      

                                                                                

20  availability of any civil remedy for the violation of subsection            

                                                                                

21  (1) under subsection (1), this act, the Michigan consumer                   

                                                                                

22  protection act, 1976 PA 331, MCL 445.901 to 445.922, or other               

                                                                                

23  state or federal law.                                                       

                                                                                

24      Sec. 9.  A law enforcement agency or a financial institution                

                                                                                

25  or other person may request copies of a vital record from a local           

                                                                                

26  registrar under section 2815a of the public health code, 1978 PA            

                                                                                

27  368, MCL 333.2815a, if necessary to enforce this act or                     


                                                                                

1   investigate or prevent identity theft.                                      

                                                                                

2       Sec. 11.  Subject to section 208e of the Michigan vehicle                   

                                                                                

3   code, 1949 PA 300, MCL 257.208e, an individual who has reasonable           

                                                                                

4   cause to believe that he or she is the victim of identity theft             

                                                                                

5   may submit a request for suppression of any record maintained by            

                                                                                

6   the secretary of state under the Michigan vehicle code, 1949 PA             

                                                                                

7   300, MCL 257.1 to 257.923.                                                  

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

16  committees of the senate and the house of representatives with              

                                                                                

17  jurisdiction over issues relating to identity theft with any                

                                                                                

18  recommendations for statutory changes.                                      

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

20  identity theft cases in this state.                                         

                                                                                

21      Enacting section 1.  Section 285 of the Michigan penal code,                

                                                                                

22  1931 PA 328, MCL 750.285, is repealed.                                      

                                                                                

23      Enacting section 2.  This act does not take effect unless                   

                                                                                

24  all of the following bills of the 92nd Legislature are enacted              

                                                                                

25  into law:                                                                   

                                                                                

26      (a) Senate Bill No. 793.                                                    

                                                                                

27                                                                              


                                                                                

1       (b) Senate Bill No. _____ or House Bill No. _____ (request                  

                                                                                

2   no. 03792'03 *).                                                            

                                                                                

3       (c) Senate Bill No. _____ or House Bill No. _____ (request                  

                                                                                

4   no. 03793'03 *).                                                            

                                                                                

5       (d) Senate Bill No. _____ or House Bill No. _____ (request                  

                                                                                

6   no. 03794'03 *).                                                            

                                                                                

7       (e) Senate Bill No. _____ or House Bill No. _____ (request                  

                                                                                

8   no. 04807'03 a).                                                            

                                                                                

9       (f) Senate Bill No. _____ or House Bill No. _____ (request                  

                                                                                

10  no. 04808'03).                                                              

                                                                                

11      (g) Senate Bill No. _____ or House Bill No. _____ (request                  

                                                                                

12  no. 04808'03 a).