Summary as passed: (all summaries) Unsolicited bulk electronic mail (e-mail); personal jurisdiction; Virginia Computer Crimes Act. Amends Virginia's long-arm statute to establish that “use” of a computer or “computer network” located in the Commonwealth shall constitute an act in the Commonwealth. The bill also (i) expands the definitions of "computer services" and "without authority" and provides a new definition for "electronic mail service provider" in the Virginia Computer Crimes Act; (ii) makes it the crime of computer trespass to (a) falsify or forge e-mail message transmission information in connection with unsolicited bulk e-mail and (b) sell, give, distribute, or possess software whose principal purpose is to facilitate unsolicited bulk e-mail; (iii) provides that e-mail service providers shall not be liable for actions they take to prevent unsolicited bulk e-mail; (iv) provides civil relief to an injured person, other than an e-mail service provider, for actual damages or the lesser of $10 for each unsolicited bulk e-mail message or $25,000 per day and states that the injured person shall not have a cause of action against an e-mail service provider which merely transmits the e-mail message; (v) provides civil relief to an injured e-mail service provider for actual damages or the greater of $10 for each unsolicited bulk e-mail message or $25,000 per day; and (vi) cross-references the Virginia long-arm statute in the Virginia Computer Crimes Act to help ensure the establishment of personal jurisdiction in Virginia's courts. The purpose of the bill is to curb a practice known as "spamming," the sending of unsolicited e-mail to unsuspecting recipients. SB 881 is identical to HBs 1668 and 1714. Full text: 01/13/99 Senate: Presented & ordered printed 992048818 pdf 02/03/99 Senate: Committee substitute printed 999594818-S1 pdf 02/19/99 House: Committee substitute printed 992915718-H1 pdf 03/04/99 Senate: Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB881ER) pdf 04/12/99 Governor: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0886) pdf Amendments: Senate amendments rejected Status: 01/13/99 Senate: Presented & ordered printed 992048818 01/13/99 Senate: Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice 01/27/99 Senate: Reported from Courts of Justice w/amds. (15-Y 0-N) 01/27/99 Senate: Rereferred to Finance 02/03/99 Senate: Committee substitute printed 999594818-S1 02/03/99 Senate: Reported from Finance with substitute (17-Y 0-N) 02/04/99 Senate: Constitutional reading dispensed (39-Y 0-N) 02/04/99 Senate: VOTE: CONST. RDG. DISPENSED R (39-Y 0-N) 02/05/99 Senate: Read second time 02/05/99 Senate: Reading of amendments waived 02/05/99 Senate: Committee amendments rejected 02/05/99 Senate: Reading of substitute waived 02/05/99 Senate: Committee substitute agreed to 999594818-S1 02/05/99 Senate: Engrossed by Senate - comm. sub. 999594818-S1 02/05/99 Senate: Constitutional reading dispensed (39-Y 0-N) 02/05/99 Senate: VOTE: CONST. RDG. DISPENSED R (39-Y 0-N) 02/05/99 Senate: Passed Senate (39-Y 0-N) 02/05/99 Senate: VOTE: PASSAGE R (39-Y 0-N) 02/05/99 Senate: Rec. of passage agreed to by Senate (40-Y 0-N) 02/05/99 Senate: VOTE: RECONSIDER R (40-Y 0-N) 02/05/99 Senate: Passed Senate (40-Y 0-N) 02/05/99 Senate: VOTE: PASSAGE R (40-Y 0-N) 02/05/99 Senate: Communicated to House 02/10/99 House: Placed on Calendar 02/10/99 House: Read first time 02/10/99 House: Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice 02/10/99 House: Assigned to C. J. sub-committee: 1 02/19/99 House: Committee substitute printed 992915718-H1 02/19/99 House: Reported from C. J. with substitute (24-Y 0-N) 02/19/99 House: Referred to Committee on Science and Technology 02/19/99 House: Reported from S. T. w/sub. (22-Y 0-N) 02/22/99 House: Read second time 02/23/99 House: Read third time 02/23/99 House: Committee substitute agreed to 992915718-H1 02/23/99 House: Engrossed by House - com. sub. 992915718-H1 02/23/99 House: Passed House with substitute (Block Vote) (98-Y 0-N) 02/23/99 House: VOTE: BLOCK VOTE PASSAGE (98-Y 0-N) 02/25/99 Senate: Reading of substitute waived 02/25/99 Senate: House substitute agreed to by Senate (40-Y 0-N) 02/25/99 Senate: VOTE: CONCUR HOUSE SUBSTITUTE (40-Y 0-N) 03/04/99 Senate: Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB881ER) 03/12/99 Senate: Enrolled 03/12/99 House: Signed by Speaker 03/15/99 Senate: Signed by President 03/29/99 Governor: Approved by Governor-Chapter 886 (effective 7/1/99) 04/12/99 Governor: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0886) |