Senate Bill 24

Chairman: David Ralston

Committee: Judiciary Non Civil

House Sponsor: Kevin Levitas

Senate Sponsor: Cecil Staton

Chairman Ralston’s Opinion of the Legislation:

SB 24 would prohibit people the use of the internet to “phish” for personal information by falsely representing themselves as a business. “Phishing” would be punished as a felony carrying a prison term of one to twenty years and a fine of $1000 up to $500,000 or both. The bill would not hold liable an employer whose employee “phishes” without the employer’s knowledge or consent. The provisions of the bill would not apply to good faith transfers of information by internet companies or allow “phishers” to sue an internet company that provides information about the “phisher” to law enforcement.

This bill comes to the House floor under the Open Rule.