HOUSE BILL No. 5019

 

 

September 27, 2017, Introduced by Rep. Lucido and referred to the Committee on Commerce and Trade.

 

     A bill to regulate the acquisition, possession, and protection

 

of biometric identifiers and biometric information by private

 

entities; and to provide remedies.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

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

 

"biometric information privacy act".

 

     Sec. 3. As used in this act:

 

     (a) "Biometric identifier" means a retina or iris scan,

 

fingerprint, voiceprint, or scan of hand or face geometry. The term

 

does not include any of the following:

 

     (i) A writing sample, written signature, photograph, human

 

biological sample used for valid scientific testing or screening,

 

tattoo description, or a physical description such as height,


weight, hair color, or eye color or demographic data.

 

     (ii) A body part as defined in the revised uniform anatomical

 

gift law, sections 10101 to 10123 of the public health code, 1978

 

PA 368, MCL 333.10101 to 333.10123, or blood or serum stored on

 

behalf of recipients or potential recipients of living or cadaveric

 

transplants and obtained or stored by a federally designated organ

 

procurement agency.

 

     (iii) Information captured from a patient in a health care

 

setting or information collected, used, or stored for health care

 

treatment, payment, or operations under the health insurance

 

portability and accountability act of 1996, Public Law 104-191.

 

     (iv) An X-ray, roentgen process, computed tomography, MRI, PET

 

scan, mammography, or other image or film of the human anatomy used

 

to diagnose, prognose, or treat an illness or other medical

 

condition or to further validate scientific testing or screening.

 

     (b) "Biometric information" means any information, regardless

 

of how it is captured, converted, stored, or shared, based on an

 

individual's biometric identifier used to identify an individual.

 

Biometric information does not include information derived from an

 

item or procedure that is excluded from the definition of biometric

 

identifier in subdivision (a)(i) to (iv).

 

     (c) "Confidential and sensitive information" means personal

 

information that can be used to uniquely identify an individual or

 

an individual's account or property. Examples of confidential and

 

sensitive information include, but are not limited to, a genetic

 

marker, genetic testing information, a unique identifier number to

 

locate an account or property, an account number, a PIN number, a


pass code, a driver license number, or a Social Security number.

 

     (d) "Private entity" means any individual, partnership,

 

corporation, limited liability company, association, or other legal

 

entity. Private entity does not include a state or local government

 

agency, any court of this state, or a clerk, judge, or justice of a

 

court of this state.

 

     (e) "Written release" means informed written consent or, in

 

the context of employment, a release executed by an employee as a

 

condition of employment.

 

     Sec. 5. (1) A private entity in possession of biometric

 

identifiers or biometric information must develop a written policy

 

that establishes a retention schedule and guidelines for

 

permanently destroying biometric identifiers and biometric

 

information when the initial purpose for collecting or obtaining

 

the identifiers or information is satisfied, or within 3 years of

 

the individual's last interaction with the private entity,

 

whichever occurs first. Unless it has received a valid warrant or

 

subpoena issued by a court of competent jurisdiction, a private

 

entity in possession of biometric identifiers or biometric

 

information must comply with its established retention schedule and

 

destruction guidelines.

 

     (2) A private entity shall make its written policy under

 

subsection (1) available to the public.

 

     (3) A private entity shall not collect, capture, purchase,

 

receive through trade, or otherwise obtain a biometric identifier

 

or biometric information of a customer or other individual, unless

 

it first does all of the following:


     (a) Informs the individual or his or her legally authorized

 

representative in writing that a biometric identifier or biometric

 

information is being collected or stored.

 

     (b) Informs the individual or his or her legally authorized

 

representative in writing of the specific purpose and length of

 

term for which a biometric identifier or biometric information is

 

being collected, stored, and used.

 

     (c) Receives a written release executed by the individual or

 

his or her legally authorized representative.

 

     (4) A private entity in possession of a biometric identifier

 

or biometric information shall not sell, lease, trade, or otherwise

 

profit from a biometric identifier or biometric information of a

 

customer or other individual.

 

     (5) A private entity in possession of a biometric identifier

 

or biometric information of an individual shall not disclose,

 

redisclose, or otherwise disseminate that biometric identifier or

 

biometric information unless 1 of the following applies:

 

     (a) The individual or his or her legally authorized

 

representative consents to the dissemination of the identifier or

 

information.

 

     (b) The dissemination of the identifier or information

 

completes a financial transaction that is requested or authorized

 

by the individual or his or her legally authorized representative.

 

     (c) The dissemination of the identifier or information is

 

required under state or federal law or municipal ordinance.

 

     (d) The dissemination of the identifier or information is

 

required pursuant to a valid warrant or subpoena issued by a court


of competent jurisdiction.

 

     (6) A private entity that is in possession of a biometric

 

identifier or biometric information shall do all of the following:

 

     (a) Store, transmit, and protect from disclosure all biometric

 

identifiers and biometric information using the reasonable standard

 

of care within the private entity's industry.

 

     (b) Store, transmit, and protect from disclosure all biometric

 

identifiers and biometric information in a manner that is the same

 

as or more protective than the manner in which the private entity

 

stores, transmits, and protects other confidential and sensitive

 

information.

 

     Sec. 7. A person that is aggrieved by a violation of this act

 

by a private entity or another person has a cause of action in a

 

circuit court or as a supplemental claim in federal district court

 

against that person. The court may award 1 or more of the following

 

remedies to a plaintiff that prevails in an action brought under

 

this section:

 

     (a) Against a private entity that negligently violates a

 

provision of this act, liquidated damages of $1,000.00, or actual

 

damages, whichever is greater.

 

     (b) Against a private entity that intentionally or recklessly

 

violates a provision of this act, liquidated damages of $5,000.00,

 

or actual damages, whichever is greater.

 

     (c) Reasonable attorney fees and costs, including expert

 

witness fees and other litigation expenses.

 

     (d) An injunction or other relief, as the court determines

 

appropriate.


     Sec. 9. (1) This act shall not be construed to impact the

 

admission or discovery of biometric identifiers and biometric

 

information in any action of any kind in any court, or before any

 

tribunal, board, agency, or person.

 

     (2) This act shall not be construed to conflict with the

 

health insurance portability and accountability act of 1996, Public

 

Law 104-191, or the regulations promulgated under that act.

 

     (3) This act shall not be considered to apply in any manner to

 

a financial institution or an affiliate of a financial institution

 

that is subject to subtitle A of title V of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley

 

act, 15 USC 6801 to 6809, or the regulations promulgated under that

 

act.

 

     (4) This act shall not be construed to apply to a contractor,

 

subcontractor, or agent of a state agency or local unit of

 

government when working for that state agency or local unit of

 

government.

 

     Enacting section 1. This act takes effect 90 days after the

 

date it is enacted into law.