HB125 Summary

• Establishes the Uniform Employee and Student Online Privacy Protection Act to protect personal online accounts of employees, students, interns, contractors, and prospective employees and students from unauthorized access by employers and educational institutions.

• Prohibits employers and educational institutions from requiring, coercing, or requesting disclosure of login credentials, account content, or altered account settings for protected personal online accounts (such as social media and email).

• Allows employers and educational institutions to request specifically identified content only for compliance with legal obligations, investigating work-related or education-related misconduct with reasonable notice, or investigating threats to safety, without requiring login information.

• Establishes civil enforcement mechanisms allowing the Attorney General to seek injunctive relief and up to $1,000 per violation (capped at $100,000 per event), and allowing employees and students to seek injunctive relief, actual and general damages, and attorney's fees.

• Permits exceptions for monitoring network security on employer or institution-provided devices, accessing publicly available information, and complying with court orders and legal requirements.