SB375, s. 2 3Section 2. Chapter 141 of the statutes is created to read:
SB375,4,4 4Chapter 141
SB375,4,5 5internet transactions
SB375,4,6 6141.01 Definitions. In this chapter:
SB375,4,7 7(1) "Child" means a resident who is less than 15 years of age.
SB375,4,9 8(1g) "Department" means the department of agriculture, trade and consumer
9protection.
SB375,4,11 10(1m) "Display on a home page" means to display in written form on a home page
11or at an Internet address that is readily accessible through a link on a home page.
SB375,4,14 12(1s) "Electronic chain letter" means an electronic mail message that is sent to
13more than one recipient with a request that each recipient send copies of the message
14to other recipients.
SB375,4,17 15(2) "Electronic mail service provider" means any person that is an intermediary
16in sending or receiving electronic mail and that provides to Internet users the ability
17to send or receive electronic mail.
SB375,4,20 18(3) "Electronic mail solicitation" means an electronic mail message that is sent
19for the purpose of encouraging a person to purchase property, goods or services or to
20visit a Web site.
SB375,4,22 21(4) "Home page" means the first page of a Web site that is displayed when a
22person visits the computer address of the Web site.
SB375,5,2 23(5) "Internet domain name" means a name identifying the Internet address of
24a person on the Internet that the person has registered with an organization that
25assigns and maintains names for Internet addresses, including the Internet

1Network Information Center, the U.S. Domain Name Registration Services or any
2successor organization.
SB375,5,4 3(6) "Internet user" means a person that maintains an electronic mail address
4with an electronic mail service provider.
SB375,5,6 5(7) "Public Web site" means a Web site that is accessible at no charge to a person
6who visits the site.
SB375,5,7 7(8) "Resident" means an individual who is a resident of this state.
SB375,5,10 8(9) "Send" means to initiate the transmission of an electronic mail message, but
9does not include any transmission of the message by an electronic mail service
10provider.
SB375,5,13 11(10) "Solicitation or chain letter policy" means the policy of an electronic mail
12service provider regarding the sending of electronic mail solicitations or electronic
13chain letters by or to the provider's Internet users.
SB375,5,15 14(11) "Web site" means a collection of related computer files on the Internet that
15is located at an Internet address.
SB375,5,17 16141.02 Electronic mail. (1) Solicitation or chain letter policy violations.
17(a) Subject to par. (b):
SB375,5,2018 1. No Internet user of an electronic mail service provider may send an electronic
19mail solicitation or electronic chain letter that uses the equipment of the provider in
20a manner that violates the provider's solicitation or chain letter policy.
SB375,5,2421 2. No person may send an electronic mail solicitation or electronic chain letter
22to an Internet user that uses the equipment of the Internet user's electronic mail
23service provider in a manner that violates the provider's solicitation or chain letter
24policy.
SB375,6,3
1(b) The prohibitions under par. (a) apply only to a solicitation or chain letter
2policy that an electronic mail service provider displays on the home page of the
3provider's Web site and makes available in printed form at no charge upon request.
SB375,6,74 (c) An electronic mail service provider who is injured by a violation of par. (a)
5that occurs more than 30 days after the solicitation or chain letter policy is displayed
6on the provider's home page may bring an action against the person who violated par.
7(a) and is entitled to each of the following:
SB375,6,118 1. The greater of the amount of actual damages, $15,000 or an amount equal
9to $50 for each electronic mail solicitation or electronic chain letter that uses the
10provider's equipment in a manner that violates the provider's solicitation or chain
11letter policy.
SB375,6,1312 2. Notwithstanding s. 814.04, costs, disbursements and reasonable attorney
13fees.
SB375,6,18 14(1m) Electronic mail solicitations. (a) No person may send an electronic mail
15solicitation unless the person includes with the solicitation a return electronic mail
16address or notice of a toll-free telephone number that the recipient of the solicitation
17may use to notify the person that the recipient does not want to receive electronic
18mail solicitations.
SB375,6,2419 (b) If a recipient of an electronic mail solicitation uses a return electronic mail
20address or toll-free telephone number specified in par. (a) to notify the person that
21sent the electronic mail solicitation that the recipient does not want to receive an
22electronic mail solicitation, the person may not send another electronic mail
23solicitation to the recipient. A recipient who receives an electronic mail solicitation
24that violates this paragraph may complain to the department.
SB375,7,4
1(c) The department shall investigate each complaint concerning a violation of
2par. (b). The department or any district attorney may on behalf of the state bring an
3action for temporary or permanent injunctive or other relief for any violation of par.
4(b) or for the penalties specified in par. (d) or for both.
SB375,7,75 (d) Any person who violates par. (b) may be required to forfeit not more than
6$10 for each electronic mail solicitation that violates par. (b), subject to a maximum
7forfeiture of $1,000 for each day in which a violation occurs.
SB375,7,15 8(2) Prohibited representations. No person may knowingly send an electronic
9mail message that represents that the message is from another person without the
10consent of that person or that represents that the message is from an Internet
11domain name without the consent of the person who has registered the name.
12Whoever violates this subsection may be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned
13for not more than 2 years or both. For a 2nd or subsequent violation of this
14subsection, a person may be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned for not more
15than 5 years or both.
SB375,7,20 16141.03 Internet privacy. (1) Consent required. (a) A person that maintains
17a Web site for the purpose of doing business in this state may not disclose to another
18person, for money or anything else of value, any information about a resident that
19is obtained from the resident's use of the Internet, including from an electronic mail
20message sent by the resident, without the consent of the resident.
SB375,8,321 ( b) A person that maintains a Web site for the purpose of doing business in this
22state may not request a child to provide information through the Internet to the
23person that includes personal information about the child without making a
24reasonable effort to obtain the consent of the child's parent or legal guardian. For
25purposes of this paragraph, a "reasonable effort to obtain consent" includes requiring

1a child's parent or guardian to mail or send a facsimile consent form to the person,
2provide a credit card number to the person or provide an electronic signature, as
3defined in s. 137.04 (2), to the person.
SB375,8,64 (c) A person who violates par. (a) or (b) may be required to forfeit not more than
5$10,000 for each violation. Each disclosure of or request for information about one
6resident or child constitutes a separate violation.
SB375,8,97 (d) The department of justice may commence an action in circuit court in the
8name of the state to restrain by temporary or permanent injunction any act or
9practice constituting a violation of par. (a) or (b).
SB375,8,11 10(2) Web site access. (a) A person that maintains a Web site for the purpose
11of doing business in this state shall do each of the following:
SB375,8,1612 1. Display a notice on the home page of the Web site that states whether the
13person collects any information about visitors to the Web site and that describes any
14information that is collected and the purposes for which it is collected, including a
15description of any information that is sold or provided to 3rd parties. A notice
16required under this paragraph shall be in an easily comprehensible format.
SB375,8,2017 2. If the person sells or provides information about visitors to the Web site to
183rd parties, allow a visitor to notify the person, at the time that the visitor visits the
19Web site, whether or not the visitor consents to the sale or provision of such
20information.
SB375,8,2321 (b) If a visitor notifies a person under par. (a) that the visitor does not consent
22to the sale or provision of information specified in par. (a), the person may not sell
23or provide the information to 3rd parties.
SB375,9,224 (c) For purposes of par. (a), a person does not maintain a Web site for the
25purpose of doing business in this state if the person's involvement with the Web site

1is limited only to providing access to the Internet to another person that maintains
2the Web site for the purpose of doing business in this state.
SB375,9,43 (d) A person who violates par. (a) or (b) may be required to forfeit not more than
4$10,000 for each violation.
SB375, s. 3 5Section 3. Initial applicability.
SB375,9,76 (1) The treatment of section 141.02 (1) (a), (1m) and (2) of the statutes first
7applies to electronic mail messages sent on the effective date of this subsection.
SB375,9,98 (2) The treatment of section 141.03 (1) (a) of the statutes first applies to
9disclosures made on the effective date of this subsection.
SB375,9,1110 (3) The treatment of section 141.03 (1) (b) of the statutes first applies to
11requests made on the effective date of this subsection.
SB375, s. 4 12Section 4. Effective date.
SB375,9,1413 (1) This act takes effect on the first day of the 6th month beginning after
14publication.
SB375,9,1515 (End)
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