The White House: The Pericles Administration

[Pericles]

Damn it, I was given bad legal advice. Withdrawing the nomination.

[Mike Thick]

I'm responsible for this -- I falsely told Pericles that this nomination was lawful, and he nominated me without knowing it was illegal for me to serve in both posts. I apologize to him, and everyone else involved, for the confusion.

[Adam Griffin]

This is dumb and that literally is not what the constitutional provision is referring to nor was inspired by...

[Sestak]

Good god.

You guys are really that desperate to score stupid points and slow everything down that you come up with that completely garbage legal argument and then try to make a f**king giant drama out of it? Pathetic.

Just let me f**king retire in peace you pieces of s**t.

[Sirius_]

Good god.

You guys are really that desperate to score stupid points and slow everything down that you come up with that completely garbage legal argument and then try to make a f**king giant drama out of it? Pathetic.

Just let me f**king retire in peace you pieces of s**t.

If Ted Bessell had just agreed to not serve in the senate simultaneously, nobody would have cared.

[Pericles]

Alright, nominating MB for Vice President. There should be no legal issues with this one. I am confident MB will do the job well and we should have a productive Congress.

MB is appointed to the role of Vice President.

[Dr. MB]

Alright, nominating MB for Vice President. There should be no legal issues with this one. I am confident MB will do the job well and we should have a productive Congress.

MB is appointed to the role of Vice President.

Thanks for this appointment Mr. President! I've learned a bit more since my last time doing this. So I think I can handle it.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Mr. President,

The Video Games Ratings Restructuring Act, as amended in the house, has passed the Senate and thus having passed in both chambers under the same text, is hereby presented for your signature or veto.

You will find a copy in your inbox as well.

Sen. NC Yankee,
President Pro-Tempore.

[Mike Thick]

Mr. President,

The National College Access Act, as amended in the Senate, has passed the House and thus having passed in both chambers under the same text, is hereby presented for your signature or veto.

Rep. Ted Bessell
Deputy Speaker of the House

[Pericles]

Signing Statement
This seems to be a sensible change, and with this we should now have appropriate regulation for these lootboxes. That said I'm not an expert on this issue.

Video Games Ratings Restructuring Act
HOUSE BILL

Be it enacted by the House of Representatives and the Senate of the Republic of Atlasia in Congress assembled,

SECTION I: NAME
1. This bill may be cited as the Video Game Ratings Restructuring Act

SECTION II: DEFINITIONS AND FINDINGS
1. Lootbox shall be defined as a consumable virtual item which can be redeemed to receive a randomized selection of further virtual items, usually found as part of certain video games and that can be purchased through the use of real world money
2. Digital video game purchase shall be defined as the purchasing of a video game or other downloadable content, or unlock or the purchase of virtual video game currency digitally through the internet.
3. The Atlasian Congress finds that loot boxes are the video game equivalent to gambling, and therefore should be regulated accordingly
4. The Atlasian Congress finds that digital video game purchases are usually not clearly marked and actively try to mislead consumers, which leads to children making large purchases they never intended to do if they knew the real value of what they were doing

SECTION III: REGULATING LOOTBOXES
1. Any video games that contain loot boxes that can be bought with real life currency shall be considered as gambling devices, and therefore shall follow the appropriate federal and regional regulations on gambling where these exist.
2. Any digital video game purchases with real life currency shall be clearly marked and shall require the manual introduction of a credit card number and a password for every instance an item is purchased.

SECTION IV: ENACTMENT
1. This bill shall be enacted 2 weeks after passage
2. Physically distributed video games which have been already printed, manufactured and/or shipped as of the passage of this bill may still be legally sold under the previously standing regulations.

People's Regional Senate
Passed 3-2 in the Atlasian Senate Assembled,
 

As Amended:
People's House of Representatives
Passed 6-0-0-3 in the Atlasian House of Representatives Assembled,


People's Regional Senate
Passed 4-0 in the Atlasian Senate Assembled,

[tmthforu94]

I no longer have faith in this President - I am resigning from the National Security Council.

[Dr. MB]

These bill have passed and awaits your signature.

AN ACT

To ensure coins are not costing more to produce than face value of such coins, and to account for the discontinued minting of pennies in physical transactions.

Section 1. Title

This legislation may be cited as the "Coin Composition Revision Act".

Section 2. Coin composition revision

(a) In general. —

The Atlasian Mint shall work to revise the composition of the nickel ($0.05 coin) and change its manufacturing process and composition in such a way that the manufacturing cost of the coin falls below such coins nominal value.

(b) Date. —

Subsection(a) shall be completed before July 31 of 2021.

Section 3. Effective date

This Act shall take effect immediately on the date of the enactment of this Act.

People's Regional Senate
Passed 4-0-2 in the Atlasian Senate Assembled,

House of Representatives:
Passed the House of Representatives 5-1-0-3

Passed the Senate (amended version) 6-0

JOBS AND PAY DURING THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC ACT

To provide hazard pay to frontline workers and incentivise employee retention.

Be it enacted by the Congress of the Republic of Atlasia assembled

SECTION I: TITLE.
This law shall be referred to as the Jobs and Pay During the Coronavirus Pandemic Act.

SECTION II: FINDINGS.

(a) Frontline workers put the health and wellbeing of themselves and their families at great risk to provide vital services to help Atlasians get through this pandemic.

(b) Hazard pay can help us compensate these workers for the risks they are taking.

(c) The Coronavirus pandemic has put many workers at risk of unemployment.

(d) It is important, therefore, that congress works to keep people in employment so that they can afford what they need to get through these difficult times.

SECTION III: DEFINITIONS.

(a) "Frontline workers" shall refer to:
 (i) Healthcare workers.
 (ii) First responders.
 (iii) Grocery and food service workers.
 (iv) Farmworkers.
 (v) Public works employees.
 (vi) Postal and delivery workers.

SECTION IV: HAZARD PAY FOR FRONTLINE WORKERS.

(a) In addition to their normal wage, frontline workers shall be entitled to hazard pay equivalent to 20% of their pay.

(b) This hazard pay be covered by the Atlasian Federal Government.

(c) The hazard pay granted by this section shall be offered in addition to any other hazard pay an employee may be recieving.

(d) This section shall apply to all pay from the 1st of March 2020 until the 1st of March 2021.

SECTION V: EMPLOYEE RETENTION.

(a) All loans given to businesses with fewer than 250 employees under the More Money for Hurting Small Businesses Act and the Emergency Economic Stimulus Act of 2020 shall become grants if a business does not dismiss employees or reduce employees hours without their consent for 10 months upon the passage of this act.
 (i) This provision shall not apply in cases of documented serious employee incompetence or bad faith actions (provided other remedies have proven infeasible).

(b) Businesses shall be required to pay 25% of the monthly wage as it stood on the 1st of March 2020 of employees who they have dismissed for 3 months after the dismissal.
 (i) This provision shall not apply in cases of documented serious employee incompetence or bad faith actions (provided other remedies have proven infeasible).
 (ii) This provision shall apply for 10 months upon the passage of this act.

SECTION V: IMPLEMENTATION.

(a) This act shall take effect immediately upon passage.

House of Representatives
Passed the House of Representatives 5-2-1-1

Passed the Senate 6-0

[Pericles]

Signing Statement
This is a reasonable measure to save money, and especially in these tough economic times this will be beneficial. So I support this bill.

AN ACT

To ensure coins are not costing more to produce than face value of such coins, and to account for the discontinued minting of pennies in physical transactions.

Section 1. Title

This legislation may be cited as the "Coin Composition Revision Act".

Section 2. Coin composition revision

(a) In general. —

The Atlasian Mint shall work to revise the composition of the nickel ($0.05 coin) and change its manufacturing process and composition in such a way that the manufacturing cost of the coin falls below such coins nominal value.

(b) Date. —

Subsection(a) shall be completed before July 31 of 2021.

Section 3. Effective date

This Act shall take effect immediately on the date of the enactment of this Act.

People's Regional Senate
Passed 4-0-2 in the Atlasian Senate Assembled,

House of Representatives:
Passed the House of Representatives 5-1-0-3

Passed the Senate (amended version) 6-0

Signing Statement
This is an important measure to support our essential workers, and is well-designed to protect jobs and the overall economy. The government is working hard to help hard-working Atlasians at this time, and so my support for this bill continues that spirit.

JOBS AND PAY DURING THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC ACT

To provide hazard pay to frontline workers and incentivise employee retention.

Be it enacted by the Congress of the Republic of Atlasia assembled

SECTION I: TITLE.
This law shall be referred to as the Jobs and Pay During the Coronavirus Pandemic Act.

SECTION II: FINDINGS.

(a) Frontline workers put the health and wellbeing of themselves and their families at great risk to provide vital services to help Atlasians get through this pandemic.

(b) Hazard pay can help us compensate these workers for the risks they are taking.

(c) The Coronavirus pandemic has put many workers at risk of unemployment.

(d) It is important, therefore, that congress works to keep people in employment so that they can afford what they need to get through these difficult times.

SECTION III: DEFINITIONS.

(a) "Frontline workers" shall refer to:
 (i) Healthcare workers.
 (ii) First responders.
 (iii) Grocery and food service workers.
 (iv) Farmworkers.
 (v) Public works employees.
 (vi) Postal and delivery workers.

SECTION IV: HAZARD PAY FOR FRONTLINE WORKERS.

(a) In addition to their normal wage, frontline workers shall be entitled to hazard pay equivalent to 20% of their pay.

(b) This hazard pay be covered by the Atlasian Federal Government.

(c) The hazard pay granted by this section shall be offered in addition to any other hazard pay an employee may be recieving.

(d) This section shall apply to all pay from the 1st of March 2020 until the 1st of March 2021.

SECTION V: EMPLOYEE RETENTION.

(a) All loans given to businesses with fewer than 250 employees under the More Money for Hurting Small Businesses Act and the Emergency Economic Stimulus Act of 2020 shall become grants if a business does not dismiss employees or reduce employees hours without their consent for 10 months upon the passage of this act.
 (i) This provision shall not apply in cases of documented serious employee incompetence or bad faith actions (provided other remedies have proven infeasible).

(b) Businesses shall be required to pay 25% of the monthly wage as it stood on the 1st of March 2020 of employees who they have dismissed for 3 months after the dismissal.
 (i) This provision shall not apply in cases of documented serious employee incompetence or bad faith actions (provided other remedies have proven infeasible).
 (ii) This provision shall apply for 10 months upon the passage of this act.

SECTION V: IMPLEMENTATION.

(a) This act shall take effect immediately upon passage.

House of Representatives
Passed the House of Representatives 5-2-1-1

Passed the Senate 6-0

[Dr. MB]

This bill is ready for your signature:

A BILL
To aid states impacted by the 2020 wildfires

Be it enacted by the House of Representatives and Senate assembled:

Section 1. Title

This legislation may be cited as the Wildfire Relief Act of 2020.

Section 2. Appropriations for States and Local Fire Departments

1. $5 million in one-time funding shall be appropriated to local fire departments to:

a. assist in combating forest fires and overtime pay for relevant officials,
b. open and operate evacuation hubs for afflicted areas, while following COVID-19 guidelines where possible,
c. devise a strategy for forest thinning of dead brush and sick or dying trees
d. assist in creating a transparent, effective early warning system, and
e. assist the homeless and civilians incapable of self-evacuating in evacuating afflicted areas

2. Funding for this act shall be allocated to the state governments of California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, Montana, Idaho, Utah, and Texas.

People's Regional Senate
Passed 6-0 in the Atlasian Senate Assembled,

People's House of Representatives
Passed 7-0-0-2 in the House of Representatives

[Pericles]

Signing Statement
This is a necessary measure to give help to these states during this disaster. These wildfires are tragic, but you are not online-the federal government will support you every step of the way. And hopefully too, this reminds us of the existential threat of climate change and the need for us to keep up our current action and build on it.

A BILL
To aid states impacted by the 2020 wildfires

Be it enacted by the House of Representatives and Senate assembled:

Section 1. Title

This legislation may be cited as the Wildfire Relief Act of 2020.

Section 2. Appropriations for States and Local Fire Departments

1. $5 million in one-time funding shall be appropriated to local fire departments to:

a. assist in combating forest fires and overtime pay for relevant officials,
b. open and operate evacuation hubs for afflicted areas, while following COVID-19 guidelines where possible,
c. devise a strategy for forest thinning of dead brush and sick or dying trees
d. assist in creating a transparent, effective early warning system, and
e. assist the homeless and civilians incapable of self-evacuating in evacuating afflicted areas

2. Funding for this act shall be allocated to the state governments of California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, Montana, Idaho, Utah, and Texas.

People's Regional Senate
Passed 6-0 in the Atlasian Senate Assembled,

People's House of Representatives
Passed 7-0-0-2 in the House of Representatives

[Dr. MB]

bill has passed:

AN ACT
To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to clarify the eligibility of broadband internet access services for Federal universal service support, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Republic of Atlasia in Congress assembled,

Section I. Title

The long title of this Act shall be the "Considering How Online Networks are Key, Yield Funding to Internet Redevelopment and Expansion Act." It may be abbreviated to and cited as the "CHONKYFIRE Act."

Section II. Universal Service Support for Broadband Internet Access Services

(a) Clarification Of Eligibility For Support.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 254(c) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 254(c)) is amended by adding at the end the following:

(4) BROADBAND INTERNET ACCESS SERVICES.—In addition to the services included in the definition of universal service under paragraph (1), the Commission shall designate broadband internet access services as services that are supported by Federal universal service support mechanisms. In designating services under this paragraph, the Commission shall ensure that the services designated are sufficient for the purposes for which consumers use broadband internet access services, as such purposes evolve over time.

(2) OBLIGATIONS OF ELIGIBLE TELECOMMUNICATIONS CARRIERS.—Section 214(e)(1)(A) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 214(e)(1)(A)) is amended by inserting “all of” after “offer”.
(b) Contributions To Universal Service.—
(1) PROVIDERS OF BROADBAND INTERNET ACCESS SERVICES REQUIRED TO CONTRIBUTE.—Section 254 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 254) is amended—
(A) in subsection (b)(4), by inserting “and all providers of broadband internet access services” after “telecommunications services”; and
(B) in subsection (d)—
(i) in the heading, by striking “Telecommunications Carrier”;
(ii) in the first sentence, by inserting “and every provider of broadband internet access services” after “telecommunications services”; and
(iii) in the second sentence—
(I) by inserting “, or provider or class of providers,” after “carriers”; and
(II) by inserting “or provider’s” after “carrier’s” each place it appears.
(2) ADDITIONAL MATTERS RELATING TO UNIVERSAL SERVICE CONTRIBUTIONS.—Section 254(d) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 254(d)) is amended—
(A) by striking “Every telecommunications carrier” and inserting the following:

(1) IN GENERAL.—Every telecommunications carrier”

(B) It is further amended by adding at the end the following:

(2) EXCLUSION FROM CONTRIBUTION BASE OF SERVICES PROVIDED TO LIFELINE CONSUMERS.—In determining the amount that a telecommunications carrier or provider of a broadband internet access service is required to contribute under this subsection, the Commission shall exclude from the determination any services provided by such carrier or provider to consumers who receive services through the Lifeline program of the Commission.
(3) CONSIDERATION OF ANTICIPATED FUNDING NEEDS.—
(A) IN GENERAL.—In determining the amount of contributions required under this subsection, the Commission shall consider forecasts of anticipated demand for services that are supported by each of the Federal universal service support mechanisms over periods that are sufficiently long to allow for adequate planning, thereby ensuring sufficient and predictable funding for each such mechanism.
(B) PROHIBITION ON CONTRIBUTION LIMIT.—The Commission may not establish any limit on the total amount of contributions required under this subsection with respect to all Federal universal service support mechanisms, except for establishing the amount that providers are required to contribute with respect to a particular time period based on the projected demand for services that are supported by Federal universal service support mechanisms over such time period.

(c) Access In Tribal Areas.—Section 254(b)(3) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 254(b)(3)) is amended—
(1) in the heading, by striking “ACCESS IN RURAL AND HIGH COST AREAS” and inserting “ACCESS IN ALL REGIONS”; and
(2) by inserting “Tribal,” after “insular,”.
(d) Prohibition On Expenditure Limit.—Section 254 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 254) is amended by adding at the end the following:

(m) Prohibition On Expenditure Limit.—The Commission may not establish any limit on the total amount of funds that may be expended through all Federal universal service support mechanisms. Nothing in the preceding sentence shall be construed to prohibit the Commission from ensuring that funds expended through the Federal universal service support mechanisms are expended for services eligible for support through such mechanisms.

(e) Consultation Among FCC, NTIA, And USDA.—The Federal Communications Commission, the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information, and the Department of Agriculture shall, in administering Federal financial assistance for the deployment of broadband services, consult with one another regarding the distribution of such assistance for the deployment of broadband services in rural areas.
(f) Reporting Requirements.—Section 254 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended by subsection (d), is further amended by adding at the end the following:

(n) Reporting Requirements.—Not later than 180 days after the end of each calendar year, the Commission shall submit to Congress a report that contains the following:
(1) A statement of the total amount expended in such year to support broadband internet access services through the Federal universal service support mechanisms for high-cost areas.
(2) A statement of the amount, of the total amount stated under paragraph (1), expended in each of the following:
(A) Rural areas.
(B) Insular areas.
(C) Tribal areas.
(D) Areas that, as of the beginning of such year, were unserved areas, as determined by the Commission.
(3) A description of progress during such year in advancing the universal service principles described in subsection (b) and the requirements for meeting future growth in the demand for the services that are supported by Federal universal service support mechanisms, including challenges that may prevent the advancement of such principles.”

(g) Broadband Internet Access Service Defined.—Section 254 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended by subsections (d) and (f), is further amended by adding at the end the following:

(o) Broadband Internet Access Service Defined.—In this section, the term ‘broadband internet access service’—
(1) means a mass-market retail service by wire or radio that provides the capability to transmit data to and receive data from all or substantially all internet endpoints, including any capabilities that are incidental to and enable the operation of the communications service, but excluding dial-up internet access service; and
(2) includes any service that the Commission finds to be providing a functional equivalent of the service described in paragraph (1).

House of Representatives:
Passed the House of Representatives 8-0-0-1

Passed Senate 5-0-0-1

[Pericles]

Signing Statement
I am proud to sign this bill, which ensures universal broadband access throughout our great nation. This will particularly benefit rural areas, and so will help unleash their potential and ensure that as we progress as a vibrant, growing modern economy-nobody and no part of Atlasia will be left behind. I am also proud of this for another reason. While certain other parties, filled with inactive officeholders who never made a difference in people's lives talk a big game about helping rural areas, my administration and the Labor Party are actually delivering for you.

AN ACT
To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to clarify the eligibility of broadband internet access services for Federal universal service support, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Republic of Atlasia in Congress assembled,

Section I. Title

The long title of this Act shall be the "Considering How Online Networks are Key, Yield Funding to Internet Redevelopment and Expansion Act." It may be abbreviated to and cited as the "CHONKYFIRE Act."

Section II. Universal Service Support for Broadband Internet Access Services

(a) Clarification Of Eligibility For Support.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 254(c) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 254(c)) is amended by adding at the end the following:

(4) BROADBAND INTERNET ACCESS SERVICES.—In addition to the services included in the definition of universal service under paragraph (1), the Commission shall designate broadband internet access services as services that are supported by Federal universal service support mechanisms. In designating services under this paragraph, the Commission shall ensure that the services designated are sufficient for the purposes for which consumers use broadband internet access services, as such purposes evolve over time.

(2) OBLIGATIONS OF ELIGIBLE TELECOMMUNICATIONS CARRIERS.—Section 214(e)(1)(A) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 214(e)(1)(A)) is amended by inserting “all of” after “offer”.
(b) Contributions To Universal Service.—
(1) PROVIDERS OF BROADBAND INTERNET ACCESS SERVICES REQUIRED TO CONTRIBUTE.—Section 254 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 254) is amended—
(A) in subsection (b)(4), by inserting “and all providers of broadband internet access services” after “telecommunications services”; and
(B) in subsection (d)—
(i) in the heading, by striking “Telecommunications Carrier”;
(ii) in the first sentence, by inserting “and every provider of broadband internet access services” after “telecommunications services”; and
(iii) in the second sentence—
(I) by inserting “, or provider or class of providers,” after “carriers”; and
(II) by inserting “or provider’s” after “carrier’s” each place it appears.
(2) ADDITIONAL MATTERS RELATING TO UNIVERSAL SERVICE CONTRIBUTIONS.—Section 254(d) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 254(d)) is amended—
(A) by striking “Every telecommunications carrier” and inserting the following:

(1) IN GENERAL.—Every telecommunications carrier”

(B) It is further amended by adding at the end the following:

(2) EXCLUSION FROM CONTRIBUTION BASE OF SERVICES PROVIDED TO LIFELINE CONSUMERS.—In determining the amount that a telecommunications carrier or provider of a broadband internet access service is required to contribute under this subsection, the Commission shall exclude from the determination any services provided by such carrier or provider to consumers who receive services through the Lifeline program of the Commission.
(3) CONSIDERATION OF ANTICIPATED FUNDING NEEDS.—
(A) IN GENERAL.—In determining the amount of contributions required under this subsection, the Commission shall consider forecasts of anticipated demand for services that are supported by each of the Federal universal service support mechanisms over periods that are sufficiently long to allow for adequate planning, thereby ensuring sufficient and predictable funding for each such mechanism.
(B) PROHIBITION ON CONTRIBUTION LIMIT.—The Commission may not establish any limit on the total amount of contributions required under this subsection with respect to all Federal universal service support mechanisms, except for establishing the amount that providers are required to contribute with respect to a particular time period based on the projected demand for services that are supported by Federal universal service support mechanisms over such time period.

(c) Access In Tribal Areas.—Section 254(b)(3) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 254(b)(3)) is amended—
(1) in the heading, by striking “ACCESS IN RURAL AND HIGH COST AREAS” and inserting “ACCESS IN ALL REGIONS”; and
(2) by inserting “Tribal,” after “insular,”.
(d) Prohibition On Expenditure Limit.—Section 254 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 254) is amended by adding at the end the following:

(m) Prohibition On Expenditure Limit.—The Commission may not establish any limit on the total amount of funds that may be expended through all Federal universal service support mechanisms. Nothing in the preceding sentence shall be construed to prohibit the Commission from ensuring that funds expended through the Federal universal service support mechanisms are expended for services eligible for support through such mechanisms.

(e) Consultation Among FCC, NTIA, And USDA.—The Federal Communications Commission, the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information, and the Department of Agriculture shall, in administering Federal financial assistance for the deployment of broadband services, consult with one another regarding the distribution of such assistance for the deployment of broadband services in rural areas.
(f) Reporting Requirements.—Section 254 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended by subsection (d), is further amended by adding at the end the following:

(n) Reporting Requirements.—Not later than 180 days after the end of each calendar year, the Commission shall submit to Congress a report that contains the following:
(1) A statement of the total amount expended in such year to support broadband internet access services through the Federal universal service support mechanisms for high-cost areas.
(2) A statement of the amount, of the total amount stated under paragraph (1), expended in each of the following:
(A) Rural areas.
(B) Insular areas.
(C) Tribal areas.
(D) Areas that, as of the beginning of such year, were unserved areas, as determined by the Commission.
(3) A description of progress during such year in advancing the universal service principles described in subsection (b) and the requirements for meeting future growth in the demand for the services that are supported by Federal universal service support mechanisms, including challenges that may prevent the advancement of such principles.”

(g) Broadband Internet Access Service Defined.—Section 254 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended by subsections (d) and (f), is further amended by adding at the end the following:

(o) Broadband Internet Access Service Defined.—In this section, the term ‘broadband internet access service’—
(1) means a mass-market retail service by wire or radio that provides the capability to transmit data to and receive data from all or substantially all internet endpoints, including any capabilities that are incidental to and enable the operation of the communications service, but excluding dial-up internet access service; and
(2) includes any service that the Commission finds to be providing a functional equivalent of the service described in paragraph (1).

House of Representatives:
Passed the House of Representatives 8-0-0-1

Passed Senate 5-0-0-1

[Dr. MB]

*wheeze, gasp* (man, do I hate working on mobile)

The amended version of the Mask Mandate Act has passed the House:

A BILL

To provide for a nationwide police on masks to mitigate and reduce the spread of the Covid 19 Pandemic.

Be it Enacted in both Chambers of Congress Assembled,

Mask Mandate Act

To mandate the usage of masks nationwide in response to the COVID 19 pandemic

Section 1. Provisions
1. Starting within 5 days after the passage of this bill, all regions receiving federal funding for police departments must institute mandatory usage of masks in the following situations:
    a. In any means of public transport
    b. In any shops, commerce or other public enclosed spaces; except those dedicated to the consumption of food and drinks
    c. Inside cars, if the car is operating as a commercial transportation service, such as a taxi, rideshare, shuttle service, or medical transport
2. People who do not follow this rule shall be fined $100
    a. This fine shall increase to $200 for any subsequent offenses
3. This bill shall not apply to people under the age of 10, nor to anyone with health issues where a doctor has prescribed that the usage of a mask would be negative for the patient's health
    a. A valid doctor's advisory must be present
4. This bill shall automatically sunset on December 31st, 2021; or when the WHO declares the COVID-19 pandemic officially over
5. States may be exempted from having the mask mandate apply within them if they provide a formal request for an exemption to the President and the President accepts this request within 7 days.
6. Effective 14 days from the passage of this bill, all places of business shall be required to display a QR code for the DefeatCoronavirus app at their entrances or reception areas.
    a. Failure to follow this requirement shall result in a penalty per offence of $500 for first-time offenders.

Section 2. Enforcement
1. Regional and local police departments not enforcing this mandate shall have funding withheld.
    a. Except in circumstances where an exemption is granted per Section 1.5

People's Regional Senate
Passed 3-2-1 In the Atlasian Senate Assembled,

As Amended:
People’s House of Representatives
Passed 8-0-0-1 in the House of Representatives Assembled,

Passed 5-0-0-1 in the Senate Assembled,

[Pericles]

Signing Statement
I am very proud to sign this legislation into law. This is a critical measure that will reduce the transmission of Covid-19. We have gotten out of the first wave, but we will only return to fully normal life when we get herd immunity through vaccination. Until then, we must be responsible and make some sacrifices, so we can prevent a disastrous resurgence of Covid and to keep our economy open as much as possible. Masks work, and they are an easy, effective measure at protecting lives and jobs. So these rules are necessary, and I ask the public-please, please abide by them so that you protect yourselves and the lives and wellbeing of your community.

A BILL

To provide for a nationwide police on masks to mitigate and reduce the spread of the Covid 19 Pandemic.

Be it Enacted in both Chambers of Congress Assembled,

Mask Mandate Act

To mandate the usage of masks nationwide in response to the COVID 19 pandemic

Section 1. Provisions
1. Starting within 5 days after the passage of this bill, all regions receiving federal funding for police departments must institute mandatory usage of masks in the following situations:
    a. In any means of public transport
    b. In any shops, commerce or other public enclosed spaces; except those dedicated to the consumption of food and drinks
    c. Inside cars, if the car is operating as a commercial transportation service, such as a taxi, rideshare, shuttle service, or medical transport
2. People who do not follow this rule shall be fined $100
    a. This fine shall increase to $200 for any subsequent offenses
3. This bill shall not apply to people under the age of 10, nor to anyone with health issues where a doctor has prescribed that the usage of a mask would be negative for the patient's health
    a. A valid doctor's advisory must be present
4. This bill shall automatically sunset on December 31st, 2021; or when the WHO declares the COVID-19 pandemic officially over
5. States may be exempted from having the mask mandate apply within them if they provide a formal request for an exemption to the President and the President accepts this request within 7 days.
6. Effective 14 days from the passage of this bill, all places of business shall be required to display a QR code for the DefeatCoronavirus app at their entrances or reception areas.
    a. Failure to follow this requirement shall result in a penalty per offence of $500 for first-time offenders.

Section 2. Enforcement
1. Regional and local police departments not enforcing this mandate shall have funding withheld.
    a. Except in circumstances where an exemption is granted per Section 1.5

People's Regional Senate
Passed 3-2-1 In the Atlasian Senate Assembled,

As Amended:
People’s House of Representatives
Passed 8-0-0-1 in the House of Representatives Assembled,

Passed 5-0-0-1 in the Senate Assembled,

[Dr. MB]

Ready to sign:

Joint Resolution

To provide for a one-time, temporary extension of budget levels to allow the budget to be posted and fully debated without a shutdown.

Be it Resolved in Both Houses of Congress Assembled,

Continuing Resolution to Avoid Shutdown

1. Funding for Atlasia's government will be maintained at current levels through November 30th, 2020 or until a Budget Resolution is adopted.

Passed 6-0 in the Senate

Passed 9-0 in the House

[Pericles]

Signing Statement
This is a sensible short-term measure. I am disappointed that we have been unable to get a budget passed, but I am pleased with the renewed effort being dedicated to the task. I will do my bit to ensure we finally have a proper budget by the deadline, and hopefully we can have a spirited debate on economic policy.

Joint Resolution

To provide for a one-time, temporary extension of budget levels to allow the budget to be posted and fully debated without a shutdown.

Be it Resolved in Both Houses of Congress Assembled,

Continuing Resolution to Avoid Shutdown

1. Funding for Atlasia's government will be maintained at current levels through November 30th, 2020 or until a Budget Resolution is adopted.

Passed 6-0 in the Senate

Passed 9-0 in the House

[Dr. MB]

An act to guarantee and reward quality wine

Section I. Title.

This bill shall be referred to as the “Atlasia Wine Official Classification Act of 2020”.

Section II. Definitions

A. An “Atlasian wine” shall be any wine made with at least 85% grapes grown in Atlasia.

Section III. Establishment

A. Reds

I. A competition shall be held every 9 years with any winery being allowed to submit any of their Atlasian wine which shall fit the selected category produced within the previous eight years for judging. There is no limit to how many wines a winery may submit, but they must pay $3,000 for their first submission and $1,000 for any additional wine they submit. Each submission must include at least two cases of wines - the equivalent of twenty-four 750 ml bottles or 15 litres total.

II. The available wine categories for the competition are: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel and Primitivo, Syrah and Shiraz, Barbera and Sangiovese, and Red Blends.

III. Each varietal of wine shall be judged by a grand panel of 10 wine experts, 5 celebrities, 5 politicians, and 5 ordinary citizens, selected at random from a pool of applicants. Each judge shall rank each wine on a scale of 0-1000.

IV. The five wines within each category with the highest sum scores shall be permitted to use the “Superior Growth” label on all of that category of wines produced within the next nine years’ vintages. The next ten highest scoring wines within each category shall be permitted to use the “First Growth” label on all of that category of wines produced within the next nine years’ vintages, and with “Second Growth” on the next twenty highest-scoring wines, and so on with “Third” and “Fourth Growths”, each doubling in size of the category. If there are fewer than 200 submissions in any category, then the highest number of categories that can be entirely filled by the submissions shall be the final one.  

B. Whites and Roses

I. A competition shall be held every 6 years with any winery being allowed to submit any of their Atlasian wine which shall fit the selected category produced within the previous five years for judging. There is no limit to how many wines a winery may submit, but they must pay $2,500 for their first submission and $1,000 for any additional wine they submit. Each submission must include at least two cases of wines - the equivalent of twenty-four 750 ml bottles or 15 litres total.

II. The available wine categories for the competition are: Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Viognier, Muscat and Moscato, Rosés, and White Blends.

III. Each varietal of wine shall be judged by a grand panel of 10 wine experts, 5 celebrities, 5 politicians, and 5 ordinary citizens, selected at random from a pool of applicants. Each judge shall rank each wine on a scale of 0-1000.

IV. The five wines within each category with the highest sum scores shall be permitted to use the “Superior Growth” label on all of that category of wines produced within the next six years’ vintages. The next ten highest scoring wines within each category shall be permitted to use the “First Growth” label on all of that category of wines produced within the next six years’ vintages, and with “Second Growth” on the next twenty highest-scoring wines, and so on with “Third” and “Fourth Growths”, each doubling in size of the category. If there are fewer than 200 submissions in any category, then the highest number of categories that can be entirely filled by the submissions shall be the final one.  

C. Champagnes and Sparkling Wines

I. A competition shall be held every 6 years with any winery being allowed to submit any of their Atlasian wine which shall fit the selected category produced within the previous five years for judging. There is no limit to how many wines a winery may submit, but they must pay $5,000 for their first submission and $1,500 for any additional wine they submit. Each submission must include at least two cases of wines - the equivalent of twenty-four 750 ml bottles or 15 litres total.

II. The available wine categories for the competition are: Blanc de blancs, Blanc de noirs, Cuveés, Prosecco, and Sweet Sparkling Wines.  

III. Each varietal of wine shall be judged by a grand panel of 10 wine experts, 5 celebrities, 5 politicians, and 5 ordinary citizens, selected at random from a pool of applicants. Each judge shall rank each wine on a scale of 0-1000.

IV. The five wines within each category with the highest sum scores shall be permitted to use the “Superior Growth” label on all of that category of wines produced within the next six years’ vintages. The next ten highest scoring wines within each category shall be permitted to use the “First Growth” label on all of that category of wines produced within the next six years’ vintages, and so on with “Second Growth” on the next twenty highest-scoring wines.

Section IV. Funding and Logistics

A. Competitions shall be hosted by cities across Atlasia, with applications by cities to be submitted to and selected by the Department of Agriculture. The cities shall be expected to provide a space for hosting and housing, with funds received from competition applicants to be directed to the host city’s event budget.

B. Usage of the scoring “Growth” terms shall be enforced by the Department of Justice, with a $100,000 fine for an illegal use of the label as well as an additional $100 per bottle sold without having met the competitive qualification for use of the label.

Section V. Promotion

I. Winning wine vintages will be promoted at the annual "Catalina Wine Mixer".

II. Wineries of distinction shall also be permitted to promote new vintages at the "Catalina Wine Mixer".

Section VI. Implementation

The first competition shall be held jointly for all three types of wines in 2021.

House of Representatives:
Passed the House of Representatives 5-0-1-3

Passed the Senate 4-2

[Dr. MB]

A RESOLUTION
To recognize the inhumane atrocities the Armenian people were subject to between 1914 and 1923.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Republic of Atlasia in Congress assembled,

Resolved: That the Ottoman Empire is responsible for the mass murder and expulsion of Armenians between 1914 and 1923, hereby known as the Armenian Genocide. That the Republic of Atlasia calls on the nations of the former Ottoman Empire to formally acknowledge these acts.

People's House of Representatives
Passed 8-0-0-1 in the House of Representatives

Passed 6-0 in the Senate

[Dr. MB]

And finally (sorry!)

DATA PROTECTION ACT OF 2020

To implement a standard federal law governing the collection and sale of personal data

Be it enacted by the Congress of the Republic of Atlasia assembled

SECTION I: TITLE.
This law shall be referred to as the Data Protection Act of 2020.

SECTION II: FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:

(a) Privacy is a right enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic of Atlasia.
(b) As the role of technology and data in the every daily lives of consumers increases, there is an increase in the amount of personal information shared by consumers with businesses. Atlasian law has not kept pace with these developments and the personal privacy implications surrounding the collection, use, and protection of personal information.
(c) Many states have adopted differing laws regarding data protection creating some confusion. It is therefore beneficial to have a harmonised federal data protection law.
(d) Many large businesses collect personal information from Atlasian consumers. They may know where a consumer lives and how many children a consumer has, how fast a consumer drives, a consumer’s personality, sleep habits, biometric and health information, financial information, precise geolocation information, and social networks, to name a few categories.
(d) The unauthorized disclosure of personal information and the loss of privacy can have devastating effects for individuals, ranging from financial fraud, identity theft, and unnecessary costs to personal time and finances, to destruction of property, harassment, reputational damage, emotional stress, and even potential physical harm.
(f) People desire privacy and more control over their information. Atlasian consumers should be able to exercise control over their personal information, and they want to be certain that there are safeguards against misuse of their personal information. It is possible for businesses both to respect consumers’ privacy and provide a high level transparency to their business practices.
(g) Therefore, it is the intent of Congress to further Atlasians’ right to privacy by giving consumers an effective way to control their personal information, by ensuring the following rights:
 (i) The right of Atlasians to know what personal information is being collected about them.
 (ii) The right of Atlasians to know whether their personal information is sold or disclosed and to whom.
 (iii) The right of Atlasians to say no to the sale of personal information.
 (iv) The right of Atlasians to access their personal information.
 (v) The right of Atlasians to equal service and price, even if they exercise their privacy rights.

SECTION III: DEFINITIONS.
For the purposes of this act:

(a) “Aggregate consumer information” means information that relates to a group or category of consumers, from which individual consumer identities have been removed, that is not linked or reasonably linkable to any consumer or household, including via a device. “Aggregate consumer information” does not mean one or more individual consumer records that have been de­identified.
(b) “Biometric information” means an individual’s physiological, biological or behavioral characteristics, including an individual’s deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), that can be used, singly or in combination with each other or with other identifying data, to establish individual identity. Biometric information includes, but is not limited to, imagery of the iris, retina, fingerprint, face, hand, palm, vein patterns, and voice recordings, from which an identifier template, such as a faceprint, a minutiae template, or a voiceprint, can be extracted, and keystroke patterns or rhythms, gait patterns or rhythms, and sleep, health, or exercise data that contain identifying information.
(c) “Business” means:
 (i) A sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability company, corporation, association, or other legal entity that is organized or operated for the profit or financial benefit of its shareholders or other owners, that collects consumers’ personal information, or on the behalf of which such information is collected and that alone, or jointly with others, determines the purposes and means of the processing of consumers’ personal information, that does business in the Republic of Atlasia, that has annual gross revenues in excess of five million dollars ($5,000,000), and that satisfies one or more of the following thresholds:
 (A) Has annual gross revenues in excess of twenty-five million dollars ($25,000,000).
 (B) Alone or in combination, annually buys, receives for the business’ commercial purposes, sells, or shares for commercial purposes, alone or in combination, the personal information of 50,000 or more consumers, households, or devices.
 (C) Derives 25 percent or more of its annual revenues from selling consumers’ personal information.
 (ii) Any entity that controls or is controlled by a business, as defined in subparagraph (i), and that shares common branding with the business. “Control” or “controlled” means ownership of, or the power to vote, more than 50 percent of the outstanding shares of any class of voting security of a business; control in any manner over the election of a majority of the directors, or of individuals exercising similar functions; or the power to exercise a controlling influence over the management of a company. “Common branding” means a shared name, servicemark, or trademark.
(d) “Business purpose” means the use of personal information for the business’ or a service provider’s operational purposes, or other notified purposes, provided that the use of personal information shall be reasonably necessary and proportionate to achieve the operational purpose for which the personal information was collected or processed or for another operational purpose that is compatible with the context in which the personal information was collected. Business purposes are:
 (i) Auditing related to a current interaction with the consumer and concurrent transactions, including, but not limited to, counting ad impressions to unique visitors, verifying positioning and quality of ad impressions, and auditing compliance with this specification and other standards.
 (ii) Detecting security incidents, protecting against malicious, deceptive, fraudulent, or illegal activity, and prosecuting those responsible for that activity.
 (iii) Debugging to identify and repair errors that impair existing intended functionality.
 (iv) Short-term, transient use, provided the personal information that is not disclosed to another third party and is not used to build a profile about a consumer or otherwise alter an individual consumer’s experience outside the current interaction, including, but not limited to, the contextual customization of ads shown as part of the same interaction.
 (v) Performing services on behalf of the business or service provider, including maintaining or servicing accounts, providing customer service, processing or fulfilling orders and transactions, verifying customer information, processing payments, providing financing, providing advertising or marketing services, providing analytic services, or providing similar services on behalf of the business or service provider.
 (vi) Undertaking internal research for technological development and demonstration.
 (vii) Undertaking activities to verify or maintain the quality or safety of a service or device that is owned, manufactured, manufactured for, or controlled by the business, and to improve, upgrade, or enhance the service or device that is owned, manufactured, manufactured for, or controlled by the business.
(e) “Collects,” “collected,” or “collection” means buying, renting, gathering, obtaining, receiving, or accessing any personal information pertaining to a consumer by any means. This includes receiving information from the consumer, either actively or passively, or by observing the consumer’s behavior.
(f) “Commercial purposes” means to advance a person’s commercial or economic interests, such as by inducing another person to buy, rent, lease, join, subscribe to, provide, or exchange products, goods, property, information, or services, or enabling or effecting, directly or indirectly, a commercial transaction. “Commercial purposes” do not include for the purpose of engaging in speech that state, regional or federal courts have recognized as noncommercial speech, including political speech and journalism.
(g) “Consumer” means a natural person who is an Atlasian resident.
(h) “Deidentified” means information that cannot reasonably identify, relate to, describe, be capable of being associated with, or be linked, directly or indirectly, to a particular consumer, provided that a business that uses deidentified information:
 (i) Has implemented technical safeguards that prohibit reidentification of the consumer to whom the information may pertain.
 (ii) Has implemented business processes that specifically prohibit reidentification of the information.
 (iii) Has implemented business processes to prevent inadvertent release of deidentified information.
 (iv) Makes no attempt to reidentify the information.
(i) “Designated methods for submitting requests” means a mailing address, email address, Internet Web page, Internet Web portal, toll-free telephone number, or other applicable contact information, whereby consumers may submit a request or direction under this title, and any new, consumer-friendly means of contacting a business, as approved by the Federal Trade Commission.
(j) “Device” means any physical object that is capable of connecting to the Internet, directly or indirectly, or to another device.
(k) “Health insurance information” means a consumer’s insurance policy number or subscriber identification number, any unique identifier used by a health insurer to identify the consumer, or any information in the consumer’s application and claims history, including any appeals records, if the information is linked or reasonably linkable to a consumer or household, including via a device, by a business or service provider.
(l) “Homepage” means the introductory page of an Internet Web site and any Internet Web page where personal information is collected. In the case of an online service, such as a mobile application, homepage means the application’s platform page or download page, a link within the application, such as from the application configuration, “About,” “Information,” or settings page, and any other location that allows consumers to review the notice required by Section VI paragraph (a), including, but not limited to, before downloading the application.
(m) “Infer” or “inference” means the derivation of information, data, assumptions, or conclusions from facts, evidence, or another source of information or data.
(n) “Person” means an individual, proprietorship, firm, partnership, joint venture, syndicate, business trust, company, corporation, limited liability company, association, committee, and any other organization or group of persons acting in concert.
(o)
 (i) “Personal information” means information that identifies, relates to, or describes a particular consumer or household that is capable of being associated with, or could reasonably be linked, directly or indirectly, with a particular consumer or household. Personal information includes, but is not limited to, the following:
 (A) Identifiers such as a real name, alias, postal address, unique personal identifier, online identifier Internet Protocol address, email address, account name, social security number, driver’s license number, passport number, or other similar identifiers.
 (B) Any information that identifies, relates to, describes, or is capable of being associated with, a particular individual, including, but not limited to, his or her name, signature, social security number, physical characteristics or description, address, telephone number, passport number, driver’s license or state identification card number, insurance policy number, education, employment, employment history, bank account number, credit card number, debit card number, or any other financial information, medical information, or health insurance information.
 (C) Characteristics of protected classifications under federal law.
 (D) Commercial information, including records of personal property, products or services purchased, obtained, or considered, or other purchasing or consuming histories or tendencies.
 (E) Biometric information.
 (F) Internet or other electronic network activity information, including, but not limited to, browsing history, search history, and information regarding a consumer’s interaction with an Internet Web site, application, or advertisement.
 (G) Geolocation data.
 (H) Audio, electronic, visual, thermal, olfactory, or similar information.
 (I) Professional or employment-related information.
 (J) Education information, defined as information that is not publicly available personally identifiable information as defined in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.
 (K) Inferences drawn from any of the information identified in this paragraph to create a profile about a consumer reflecting the consumer’s preferences, characteristics, psychological trends, preferences, predispositions, behavior, attitudes, intelligence, abilities, and aptitudes.
 (ii) “Personal information” does not include publicly available information. For these purposes, “publicly available” means information that is lawfully made available from federal, regional, state, or local government records, if any conditions associated with such information. “Publicly available” does not mean biometric information collected by a business about a consumer without the consumer’s knowledge. Information is not “publicly available” if that data is used for a purpose that is not compatible with the purpose for which the data is maintained and made available in the government records or for which it is publicly maintained. “Publicly available” does not include consumer information that is deidentified or aggregate consumer information.
(p) “Probabilistic identifier” means the identification of a consumer or a device to a degree of certainty of more probable than not based on any categories of personal information included in, or similar to, the categories enumerated in the definition of personal information.
(q) “Processing” means any operation or set of operations that are performed on personal data or on sets of personal data, whether or not by automated means.
(r) “Pseudonymize” or “Pseudonymization” means the processing of personal information in a manner that renders the personal information no longer attributable to a specific consumer without the use of additional information, provided that the additional information is kept separately and is subject to technical and organizational measures to ensure that the personal information is not attributed to an identified or identifiable consumer.
(s) “Research” means scientific, systematic study and observation, including basic research or applied research that is in the public interest and that adheres to all other applicable ethics and privacy laws or studies conducted in the public interest in the area of public health. Research with personal information that may have been collected from a consumer in the course of the consumer’s interactions with a business’ service or device for other purposes shall be:
 (i) Compatible with the business purpose for which the personal information was collected.
 (ii) Subsequently pseudonymized and deidentified, or deidentified and in the aggregate, such that the information cannot reasonably identify, relate to, describe, be capable of being associated with, or be linked, directly or indirectly, to a particular consumer.
 (iii) Made subject to technical safeguards that prohibit reidentification of the consumer to whom the information may pertain.
 (iv) Subject to business processes that specifically prohibit reidentification of the information.
 (v) Made subject to business processes to prevent inadvertent release of deidentified information.
 (vi) Protected from any reidentification attempts.
 (vii) Used solely for research purposes that are compatible with the context in which the personal information was collected.
 (viii) Not be used for any commercial purpose.
 (ix) Subjected by the business conducting the research to additional security controls limit access to the research data to only those individuals in a business as are necessary to carry out the research purpose.
(t)
 (i) “Sell,” “selling,” “sale,” or “sold,” means selling, renting, releasing, disclosing, disseminating, making available, transferring, or otherwise communicating orally, in writing, or by electronic or other means, a consumer’s personal information by the business to another business or a third party for monetary or other valuable consideration.
 (ii) For purposes of this title, a business does not sell personal information when:
 (A) A consumer uses or directs the business to intentionally disclose personal information or uses the business to intentionally interact with a third party, provided the third party does not also sell the personal information, unless that disclosure would be consistent with the provisions of this title. An intentional interaction occurs when the consumer intends to interact with the third party, via one or more deliberate interactions. Hovering over, muting, pausing, or closing a given piece of content does not constitute a consumer’s intent to interact with a third party.
 (B) The business uses or shares an identifier for a consumer who has opted out of the sale of the consumer’s personal information for the purposes of alerting third parties that the consumer has opted out of the sale of the consumer’s personal information.
 (C) The business uses or shares with a service provider personal information of a consumer that is necessary to perform a business purpose if both of the following conditions are met: services that the service provider performs on the business’ behalf, provided that the service provider also does not sell the personal information.
 (1) The business has provided notice that information being used or shared in its terms and conditions consistent with Section V subsection 2.
 (2) The service provider does not further collect, sell, or use the personal information of the consumer except as necessary to perform the business purpose.
 (D) The business transfers to a third party the personal information of a consumer as an asset that is part of a merger, acquisition, bankruptcy, or other transaction in which the third party assumes control of all or part of the business provided that information is used or shared consistently with Section IV subsections 3 and 4. If a third party materially alters how it uses or shares the personal information of a consumer in a manner that is materially inconsistent with the promises made at the time of collection, it shall provide prior notice of the new or changed practice to the consumer. The notice shall be sufficiently prominent and robust to ensure that existing consumers can easily exercise their choices consistently with Section IV subsection 5. This division does not authorize a business to make material, retroactive privacy policy changes or make other changes in their privacy policy in a manner that would violate any laws regarding unfair and deceptive practices.
(u) “Service” or “services” means work, labor, and services, including services furnished in connection with the sale or repair of goods.
(v) “Service provider” means a sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability company, corporation, association, or other legal entity that is organized or operated for the profit or financial benefit of its shareholders or other owners, that processes information on behalf of a business and to which the business discloses a consumer’s personal information for a business purpose pursuant to a written contract, provided that the contract prohibits the entity receiving the information from retaining, using, or disclosing the personal information for any purpose other than for the specific purpose of performing the services specified in the contract for the business, or as otherwise permitted by this title, including retaining, using, or disclosing the personal information for a commercial purpose other than providing the services specified in the contract with the business.

[Dr. MB]

(w) “Third party” means a person who is not any of the following:
 (i) The business that collects personal information from consumers under this title.
 (ii) A person to whom the business discloses a consumer’s personal information for a business purpose pursuant to a written contract, provided that the contract:
 (A) Prohibits the person receiving the personal information from:
 (1) Selling the personal information.
 (2) Retaining, using, or disclosing the personal information for any purpose other than for the specific purpose of performing the services specified in the contract, including retaining, using, or disclosing the personal information for a commercial purpose other than providing the services specified in the contract.
 (3) Retaining, using, or disclosing the information outside of the direct business relationship between the person and the business.
 (B) Includes a certification made by the person receiving the personal information that the person understands the restrictions in division (A) and will comply with them.
 (iii) A person covered by subparagraph (ii) that violates any of the restrictions set forth in this title shall be liable for the violations. A business that discloses personal information to a person covered by subparagraph (ii) in compliance with subparagraph (ii) shall not be liable under this title if the person receiving the personal information uses it in violation of the restrictions set forth in this title, provided that, at the time of disclosing the personal information, the business does not have actual knowledge, or reason to believe, that the person intends to commit such a violation.
(x) “Unique identifier” or “Unique personal identifier” means a persistent identifier that can be used to recognize a consumer, a family, or a device that is linked to a consumer or family, over time and across different services, including, but not limited to, a device identifier; an Internet Protocol address; cookies, beacons, pixel tags, mobile ad identifiers, or similar technology; customer number, unique pseudonym, or user alias; telephone numbers, or other forms of persistent or probabilistic identifiers that can be used to identify a particular consumer or device. For purposes of this paragraph, “family” means a custodial parent or guardian and any minor children over which the parent or guardian has custody.
(y) “Verifiable consumer request” means a request that is made by a consumer, by a consumer on behalf of the consumer’s minor child, or by a natural person or a person registered with the Federal Trade Commission, authorized by the consumer to act on the consumer’s behalf, and that the business can reasonably verify, pursuant to regulations adopted by the Federal Trade Commission pursuant to Section IX paragraph (a) subparagraph (vii) to be the consumer about whom the business has collected personal information. A business is not obligated to provide information to the consumer pursuant to Section IV subsections 3 and 4 if the business cannot verify, pursuant this paragraph and regulations adopted by the Federal Trade Commission pursuant to Section IX paragraph (a) subparagraph (vii), that the consumer making the request is the consumer about whom the business has collected information or is a person authorized by the consumer to act on such consumer’s behalf.

SECTION IV: CONSUMER RIGHTS.

1.
(a) A consumer shall have the right to request that a business that collects a consumer’s personal information disclose to that consumer the categories and specific pieces of personal information the business has collected.
(b) A business that collects a consumer’s personal information shall, at or before the point of collection, inform consumers as to the categories of personal information to be collected and the purposes for which the categories of personal information shall be used. A business shall not collect additional categories of personal information or use personal information collected for additional purposes without providing the consumer with notice consistent with this subsection.
(c) A business shall provide the information specified in part (a) to a consumer only upon receipt of a verifiable consumer request.
(d) A business that receives a verifiable consumer request from a consumer to access personal information shall promptly take steps to disclose and deliver, free of charge to the consumer, the personal information required by this subsection. The information may be delivered by mail or electronically, and if provided electronically, the information shall be in a portable and, to the extent technically feasible, in a readily useable format that allows the consumer to transmit this information to another entity without hindrance. A business may provide personal information to a consumer at any time, but shall not be required to provide personal information to a consumer more than twice in a 6-month period.
(e) A business shall not be required to retain any personal information collected for a single, one-time transaction.

2.
(a) A consumer shall have the right to request that a business delete any personal information about the consumer which the business has collected from the consumer.
(b) A business that collects personal information about consumers shall disclose, pursuant to Section V subsection 1 paragraph (a) subparagraph (v) division (A), the consumer’s rights to request the deletion of the consumer’s personal information.
(c) A business that receives a verifiable request from a consumer to delete the consumer’s personal information pursuant to part (a) of this subsection shall delete the consumer’s personal information from its records and direct any service providers to delete the consumer’s personal information from their records.
(d) A business or a service provider shall not be required to comply with a consumer’s request to delete the consumer’s personal information if it is necessary for the business or service provider to maintain the consumer’s personal information in order to:
 (i) Complete the transaction for which the personal information was collected, provide a good or service requested by the consumer, or reasonably anticipated within the context of a business’s ongoing business relationship with the consumer, or otherwise perform a contract between the business and the consumer.
 (ii) Detect security incidents, protect against malicious, deceptive, fraudulent, or illegal activity; or prosecute those responsible for that activity.
 (iii) Engage in public or peer-reviewed scientific, historical, or statistical research in the public interest that adheres to all other applicable ethics and privacy laws, when the businesses’ deletion of the information is likely to render impossible or seriously impair the achievement of such research, if the consumer has provided informed consent.
 (iv) Comply with a legal obligation.

3.
(a) A consumer shall have the right to request that a business that collects personal information about the consumer disclose to the consumer the following:
 (i) The categories of personal information it has collected about that consumer.
 (ii) The categories of sources from which the personal information is collected.
 (iii) The business or commercial purpose for collecting or selling personal information.
 (iv) The categories of third parties with whom the business shares personal information.
 (v) The specific pieces of personal information it has collected about that consumer.
(b) A business that collects personal information about a consumer shall disclose to the consumer, pursuant to Section V subsection 1 paragraph (a) subparagraph (iii), the information specified in paragraph (a) upon receipt of a verifiable request from the consumer.
(c) A business that collects personal information about consumers shall disclose, pursuant to Section V subsection 1 paragraph (a) subparagraph (v) division (B):
 (i) The categories of personal information it has collected about that consumer.
 (ii) The categories of sources from which the personal information is collected.
 (iii) The business or commercial purpose for collecting or selling personal information.
 (iv) The categories of third parties with whom the business shares personal information.
 (v) The specific pieces of personal information the business has collected about that consumer.
(d) This subsection does not require a business to do the following:
 (i) Retain any personal information about a consumer collected for a single one-time transaction if, in the ordinary course of business, that information about the consumer is not retained.
 (ii) Reidentify or otherwise link any data that, in the ordinary course of business, is not maintained in a manner that would be considered personal information.

4.
(a) A consumer shall have the right to request that a business that sells the consumer’s personal information, or that discloses it for a business purpose, disclose to that consumer:
 (i) The categories of personal information that the business collected about the consumer.
 (ii) The categories of personal information that the business sold about the consumer and the categories of third parties to whom the personal information was sold, by category or categories of personal information for each third party to whom the personal information was sold.
 (iii) The categories of personal information that the business disclosed about the consumer for a business purpose.
(b) A business that sells personal information about a consumer, or that discloses a consumer’s personal information for a business purpose, shall disclose, pursuant to Section V subsection 1 paragraph (a) subparagraph (iv), the information specified in paragraph (a) to the consumer upon receipt of a verifiable request from the consumer.
(c) A business that sells consumers’ personal information, or that discloses consumers’ personal information for a business purpose, shall disclose, pursuant to Section V subsection 1 paragraph (a) subparagraph (v) division (C):
 (i) The category or categories of consumers’ personal information it has sold, or if the business has not sold consumers’ personal information, it shall disclose that fact.
 (ii) The category or categories of consumers’ personal information it has disclosed for a business purpose, or if the business has not disclosed the consumers’ personal information for a business purpose, it shall disclose that fact.
(d) A third party shall not sell personal information about a consumer that has been sold to the third party by a business unless the consumer has received explicit notice and is provided an opportunity to exercise the right to opt out pursuant to subsection 5.

5.
(a) A consumer shall have the right, at any time, to direct a business that sells personal information about the consumer to third parties not to sell the consumer’s personal information. This right may be referred to as the right to opt out.
(b) A business that sells consumers’ personal information to third parties shall provide notice to consumers, pursuant to Section V subsection 2 paragraph (a), that this information may be sold and that consumers have the right to opt out of the sale of their personal information.
(c) A business that has received direction from a consumer not to sell the consumer’s personal information or, in the case of a minor consumer’s personal information has not received consent to sell the minor consumer’s personal information shall be prohibited, pursuant to Section V subsection 2 paragraph (a) subparagraph (iv), from selling the consumer’s personal information after its receipt of the consumer’s direction, unless the consumer subsequently provides express authorization for the sale of the consumer’s personal information.
(d) Notwithstanding paragraph (a), a business shall not sell the personal information of consumers if the business has actual knowledge that the consumer is less than 16 years of age, unless the consumer has affirmatively authorized the sale of the consumer’s personal information. A business that willfully disregards the consumer’s age shall be deemed to have had actual knowledge of the consumer’s age. This right may be referred to as the “right to opt in.”

6.
(a) A business shall not discriminate against a consumer because the consumer exercised any of the consumer’s rights under this title, including, but not limited to, by:
 (i) Denying goods or services to the consumer.
 (ii) Charging different prices or rates for goods or services, including through the use of discounts or other benefits or imposing penalties.
 (iii) Providing a different level or quality of goods or services to the consumer, if the consumer exercises the consumer’s rights under this title.
 (iv) Suggesting that the consumer will receive a different price or rate for goods or services or a different level or quality of goods or services.
(b) Nothing in paragraph (a) prohibits a business from charging a consumer a different price or rate, or from providing a different level or quality of goods or services to the consumer, if that difference is reasonably related to the value provided to the consumer by the consumer’s data.
(c) A business may offer financial incentives, including payments to consumers as compensation, for the collection of personal information, the sale of personal information, or the deletion of personal information. A business may also offer a different price, rate, level, or quality of goods or services to the consumer if that price or difference is directly related to the value provided to the consumer by the consumer’s data.
(d) A business that offers any financial incentives pursuant to paragraph (a), shall notify consumers of the financial incentives pursuant to Section V subsection 2.
(e)  A business may enter a consumer into a financial incentive program only if the consumer gives the business prior opt-in consent pursuant to Section V subsection 2 which clearly describes the material terms of the financial incentive program, and which may be revoked by the consumer at any time.
(f) A business shall not use financial incentive practices that are unjust, unreasonable, coercive, or usurious in nature.

SECTION V: COMPLIANCE.

1.
(a) In order to comply with Section IV subsections 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6, in a form that is reasonably accessible to consumers, a business shall:
 (i) Make available to consumers two or more designated methods for submitting requests for information required to be disclosed pursuant to Section IV subsections 3 and 4, including, at a minimum, a toll-free telephone number, and if the business maintains an Internet Web site, a Web site address.
 (ii) Disclose and deliver the required information to a consumer free of charge within 45 days of receiving a verifiable request from the consumer. The business shall promptly take steps to determine whether the request is a verifiable request, but this shall not extend the business’s duty to disclose and deliver the information within 45 days of receipt of the consumer’s request. The time period to provide the required information may be extended once by an additional 45 days when reasonably necessary, provided the consumer is provided notice of the extension within the first 45-day period. The disclosure shall cover the 12-month period preceding the business’s receipt of the verifiable request and shall be made in writing and delivered through the consumer’s account with the business, if the consumer maintains an account with the business, or by mail or electronically at the consumer’s option if the consumer does not maintain an account with the business, in a readily useable format that allows the consumer to transmit this information from one entity to another entity without hindrance. The business shall not require the consumer to create an account with the business in order to make a verifiable request.
 (iii) For purposes of Section IV subsection 3 paragraph (b):
 (A) To identify the consumer, associate the information provided by the consumer in the verifiable request to any personal information previously collected by the business about the consumer.
 (B) Identify by category or categories the personal information collected about the consumer in the preceding 12 months by reference to the enumerated category or categories in paragraph (c) that most closely describes the personal information collected.
 (iv) For purposes of Section IV subsection 4 paragraph (b):
 (A) Identify the consumer and associate the information provided by the consumer in the verifiable request to any personal information previously collected by the business about the consumer.
 (B) Identify by category or categories the personal information of the consumer that the business sold in the preceding 12 months by reference to the enumerated category in paragraph (c) that most closely describes the personal information, and provide the categories of third parties to whom the consumer’s personal information was sold in the preceding 12 months by reference to the enumerated category or categories in paragraph (c) that most closely describes the personal information sold. The business shall disclose the information in a list that is separate from a list generated for the purposes of division (C).
 (C) Identify by category or categories the personal information of the consumer that the business disclosed for a business purpose in the preceding 12 months by reference to the enumerated category or categories in subdivision (c) that most closely describes the personal information, and provide the categories of third parties to whom the consumer’s personal information was disclosed for a business purpose in the preceding 12 months by reference to the enumerated category or categories in subdivision (c) that most closely describes the personal information disclosed. The business shall disclose the information in a list that is separate from a list generated for the purposes of division (B).
 (v) Disclose the following information in its online privacy policy or policies if the business has an online privacy policy or policies, or if the business does not maintain those policies, on its Internet Web site, and update that information at least once every 12 months:
 (A) A description of a consumer’s rights pursuant to Section IV subsections 3, 4 and 6 and one or more designated methods for submitting requests.
 (B) For purposes of Section IV subsection 3 paragraph (c), a list of the categories of personal information it has collected about consumers in the preceding 12 months by reference to the enumerated category or categories in subdivision (c) that most closely describe the personal information collected.
 (C) For purposes of Section IV subsection 4 paragraph (c) subparagraphs (i) and (ii), two separate lists:
 (1) A list of the categories of personal information it has sold about consumers in the preceding 12 months by reference to the enumerated category or categories in paragraph (c) that most closely describe the personal information sold, or if the business has not sold consumers’ personal information in the preceding 12 months, the business shall disclose that fact.
 (2) A list of the categories of personal information it has disclosed about consumers for a business purpose in the preceding 12 months by reference to the enumerated category in paragraph (c) that most closely describe the personal information disclosed, or if the business has not disclosed consumers’ personal information for a business purpose in the preceding 12 months, the business shall disclose that fact.
 (vi) Ensure that all individuals responsible for handling consumer inquiries about the business’s privacy practices or the business’s compliance with this title are informed of all requirements in Section IV subsections 3, 4 and 6, and this subsection, and how to direct consumers to exercise their rights under those subsections.
 (vii) Use any personal information collected from the consumer in connection with the business’s verification of the consumer’s request solely for the purposes of verification.
(b) A business is not obligated to provide the information required by Section IV subsections 3 and 4 to the same consumer more than twice in a 12-month period.
(c) The categories of personal information required to be disclosed pursuant to Section IV subsections 3 and 4 shall follow the definition of personal information in Section III.