Florida Senate - 2013                             CS for SB 1126
       
       
       
       By the Committee on Criminal Justice; and Senator Joyner
       
       
       
       
       591-03348-13                                          20131126c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the unlawful possession of the
    3         personal identification information of another person;
    4         creating s. 817.5685, F.S.; defining the term
    5         “personal identification information”; providing that
    6         it is unlawful for a person to intentionally or
    7         knowingly possess, without authorization, any personal
    8         identification information of another person; creating
    9         criminal penalties; providing that possession of
   10         identification information of multiple individuals
   11         gives rise to an inference of illegality; providing
   12         that certain specified persons are exempt from
   13         provisions regarding the unlawful possession of
   14         personal identification information of another person;
   15         creating affirmative defenses; providing that the act
   16         does not preclude prosecution for the unlawful
   17         possession of personal identification information of
   18         another person under any other law; providing an
   19         effective date.
   20  
   21  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   22  
   23         Section 1. Section 817.5685, Florida Statutes, is created
   24  to read:
   25         817.5685Unlawful possession of the personal identification
   26  information of another person.—
   27         (1) As used in this section, the term “personal
   28  identification information” means a person’s social security
   29  number, official state-issued or United States-issued driver
   30  license or identification number, alien registration number,
   31  government passport number, employer or taxpayer identification
   32  number, Medicaid or food assistance account number, bank account
   33  number, credit or debit card number, and medical records.
   34         (2) It is unlawful for a person to intentionally or
   35  knowingly possess, without authorization, the personal
   36  identification information of another person in any form,
   37  including, but not limited to, mail, physical documents,
   38  identification cards, or information stored in digital form.
   39         (3)(a) A person who violates subsection (2) and in doing so
   40  possesses the personal identification information of four or
   41  fewer persons commits a misdemeanor of the first degree,
   42  punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.
   43         (b) A person who violates subsection (2) and in doing so
   44  possesses the personal identification information of five or
   45  more persons commits a felony of third degree, punishable as
   46  provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.
   47         (c) Proof that a person used or was in possession of the
   48  personal identification information of five or more individuals,
   49  unless satisfactorily explained, gives rise to an inference that
   50  the person who used or was in possession of the personal
   51  identification information did so knowingly and intentionally
   52  without authorization.
   53         (4) Subsection (2) does not apply to:
   54         (a) A person who is the parent or legal guardian of a child
   55  and who possesses the personal identification information of
   56  that child.
   57         (b) A person who is the guardian of another person under
   58  chapter 744 and who is authorized to possess the personal
   59  identification information of that other person and make
   60  decisions regarding access to that personal identification
   61  information.
   62         (c) An employee of a governmental agency who possesses the
   63  personal identification information of another person in the
   64  ordinary course of business.
   65         (d) A person who is engaged in a lawful business and
   66  possesses the personal identification information of another
   67  person in the ordinary course of business.
   68         (e) A person who finds a card or document issued by a
   69  governmental agency which contains the personal identification
   70  information of another person and who takes reasonably prompt
   71  action to return that card or document to its owner, to the
   72  governmental agency that issued the card or document, or to a
   73  law enforcement agency.
   74         (5) It is an affirmative defense to an alleged violation of
   75  subsection (2) if the person who possesses the personal
   76  identification information of another person:
   77         (a) Did so under the reasonable belief that such possession
   78  was authorized by law or by the consent of the other person; or
   79         (b) Obtained that personal identification information from
   80  a forum or resource that is open or available to the general
   81  public or from a public record.
   82         (6) This section does not preclude prosecution for the
   83  unlawful possession of personal identification information
   84  pursuant to s. 817.568 or any other law, including prosecution
   85  for the criminal use of personal identification information that
   86  was otherwise lawfully possessed.
   87         Section 2. This act shall take effect October 1, 2013.