Vermont H 365: An act relating to expanding workers’ compensation coverage for firefighters with cancer

Bill Text

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VT LEG #379195 v.1
H.365 1
Introduced by Representatives Arsenault of Williston and Graning of Jericho 2
Referred to Committee on 3
Date: 4
Subject: Commerce and trade; consumer protection; social media and artificial 5
intelligence 6
Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to require 7
providers of social media platforms and artificial intelligence systems to 8
register annually with the State and to agree to product safety and privacy 9
terms. 10
An act relating to the regulation of social media platforms and artificial 11
intelligence systems 12
It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: 13
Sec. 1. PURPOSE 14
(a) Purpose. The purpose of this act is to: 15
(1) enhance the authority of the Attorney General to regulate providers 16
of social media platforms and artificial intelligence systems; and 17
(2) protect the health and safety of Vermonters by requiring providers of 18
social media platforms and artificial intelligence systems to: 19
(A) annually register with the Secretary of State; and 20

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VT LEG #379195 v.1
(B) agree to product safety and privacy terms. 1
Sec. 2. 9 V.S.A. chapter 118 is added to read: 2
CHAPTER 118. SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS 3
§ 4193a. DEFINITIONS 4
As used in this chapter: 5
(1) “Consumer” means an individual who is a resident of the State and 6
who uses a provider’s social media platform. 7
(2) “Dark pattern” means a user interface designed or manipulated with 8
the substantial effect of subverting or impairing user autonomy, decision-9
making, or choice and includes any practice the Federal Trade Commission 10
refers to as a “dark pattern.” 11
(3) “Personal identifying information” means any information, including 12
sensitive information, that is linked or reasonably linkable to an identified or 13
identifiable consumer. The term does not include deidentified information or 14
publicly available information of a consumer. 15
(4) “Provider of a social media platform” and “provider” means a person 16
that operates a social media platform that is used by consumers. 17
(5) “Social media platform” means a website, mobile application, or 18
internet medium that: 19

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(A) permits a person to become a registered user, establish an 1
account, or create a profile for the purpose of allowing users to create, share, 2
and view user-generated content through such an account or profile; 3
(B) enables one or more users to generate content that can be viewed 4
by other users of the medium; and 5
(C) primarily serves as a medium for users to interact with content 6
generated by other users of the medium. 7
§ 4193b. ANNUAL REGISTRATION 8
(a) Annually, on or before January 31 following a year in which a person 9
meets the definition of a provider of a social media platform as defined in 10
section 4193a of this chapter, a person shall: 11
(1) register with the Secretary of State; 12
(2) pay a registration fee of $100.00; 13
(3) provide the following information during registration: 14
(A) the name and primary physical, email, and internet addresses of 15
the person; and 16
(B) the most recent version of the privacy policy and terms and 17
conditions in use by the social media platform; and 18
(4) agree to the product safety and privacy terms as set forth in section 19
4193c of this chapter and by those set by the Attorney General through the 20
Attorney General’s rulemaking authority pursuant to this chapter. 21

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(b) A provider that fails to register and provide all required information 1
pursuant to subsection (a) of this section: 2
(1) is liable to the State for: 3
(A) a civil penalty of $50.00 for each day, not to exceed a total of 4
$10,000.00 for each year, it fails to register pursuant to this section; 5
(B) an amount equal to the fees due under this section during the 6
period it failed to register pursuant to this section; and 7
(C) other penalties imposed by law; and 8
(2) does not otherwise limit the provider’s responsibility to comply with 9
the provisions required of providers set forth in this chapter. 10
(c) The Attorney General may maintain an action in the Civil Division of 11
the Superior Court to collect the penalties imposed in this section and to seek 12
appropriate injunctive relief. 13
§ 4193c. PRODUCT SAFETY AND PRIVACY FOR MINORS 14
(a) A provider of a social media platform who knows, or by the exercise of 15
reasonable care should have known, that a consumer is a minor shall: 16
(1) Not use any design feature on a social media platform that the 17
provider knew, or by the exercise of reasonable care should have known, is 18
harmful to minors, including the encouragement of excessive or compulsive 19
use of a social media platform by a minor. 20

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(2) Conf