Source: http://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/bills_text.cfm?billdoc=SB102%20SUB1%20ENR.htm&yr=2018&sesstype=RS&i=102
Timestamp: 2019-04-20 10:52:26+00:00

Document:
AN ACT to amend and reenact §39B-2-101 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended; to amend and reenact §39B-3-101 of said code; and to amend said code by adding thereto a new article, designated §44-5B-1, §44-5B-2, §44-5B-3, §44-5B-4, §44-5B-5, §44-5B-6, §44-5B-7, §44-5B-8, §44-5B-9, §44-5B-10, §44-5B-11, §44-5B-12, §44-5B-13, §44-5B-14, §44-5B-15, §44-5B-16, §44-5B-17, §44-5B-18, and §44-5B-19, all relating to the Uniform Power of Attorney Act and the West Virginia Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act; providing that an agent under power of attorney may exercise authority over the content of electronic communications sent or received by the principal; clarifying the ability of an agent under a power of attorney to take self-benefitting actions; providing code references and additional language to the statutory form for power of attorney; creating the West Virginia Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act; providing a short title; defining certain terms; setting forth to whom the article applies; providing for user direction for disclosure of assets with or without an online tool; addressing terms of service agreements; setting forth procedure for disclosing digital assets by custodian; allowing custodian to assess reasonable administrative charges; allowing custodian or fiduciary to seek court order when request imposes an undue burden; providing for disclosure of content of electronic communications and other digital assets of deceased users and setting forth required documentation; providing for disclosure of content of electronic communications and digital assets of a principal by custodian and setting forth required documentation; addressing disclosure of digital assets held in trust when the trustee is an original owner or user; addressing disclosure of contents of electronic communications held in trust and other digital assets when trustee is not an original owner or user and setting forth required documentation; addressing disclosure of digital assets to conservator of a protected person and setting forth required documentation; setting forth fiduciary’s duties and authority; providing for custodian’s compliance and immunity; setting time frame for compliance by custodian; authorizing application for court order for noncompliance; allowing custodian to notify user, deny a request, or receive a court order; providing for uniformity of application and construction of article; addressing relation of article to Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act; and providing for severability of article.
§39B-2-101. Authority that requires specific grant; grant of general authority.
(9) Exercise authority over the content of electronic communications, as defined in 18 U.S.C. Section 2510(12) sent or received by the principal.
(b) Notwithstanding a grant of authority to do an act described in this section, unless the power of attorney otherwise provides, an agent may not exercise authority under a power of attorney to create in the agent, or in an individual to whom the agent owes a legal obligation of support, an interest in the principal’s property, whether by gift, right of survivorship, beneficiary designation, disclaimer, or otherwise.
(c) Subject to §39B-2-101(a), §39B-2-101(b), §39B-2-101(d), and §39B-2-101(e) of this code, if a power of attorney grants to an agent authority to do all acts that a principal could do, the agent has the general authority described in §39B-2-104 through §39B-2-116 of this code.
(d) Unless the power of attorney otherwise provides, a grant of authority to make a gift is subject to the provisions of §39B-2-117 of this code.
(e) Subject to §39B-2-101(a), §39B-2-101(b), §39B-2-101(d), and §39B-2-101(e) of this code, if the subjects over which authority is granted in a power of attorney are similar or overlap, the broadest authority controls.
(f) Authority granted in a power of attorney is exercisable with respect to property that the principal has when the power of attorney is executed or acquires later, whether or not the property is located in this state and whether or not the authority is exercised or the power of attorney is executed in this state.
(g) An act performed by an agent pursuant to a power of attorney has the same effect and inures to the benefit of and binds the principal and the principal’s successors in interest as if the principal had performed the act.
This article may be cited as the West Virginia Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act.
“Will” includes a codicil, testamentary instrument that only appoints an executor, and instrument that revokes or revises a testamentary instrument.
(4) A trustee acting under a trust created before, on, or after the effective date of this article.
(b) This article applies to a custodian if the user resides in this state or resided in this state at the time of the user’s death.
(c) This article does not apply to a digital asset of an employer used by an employee in the ordinary course of the employer’s business.
§44-5B-4. User direction for disclosure of digital assets.
(a) A user may use an online tool to direct the custodian to disclose or not to disclose to a designated recipient some or all of the user’s digital assets, including the content of electronic communications. If the online tool allows the user to modify or delete a direction at all times, a direction regarding disclosure using an online tool overrides a contrary direction by the user in a will, trust, power of attorney, or other record.
(b) If a user has not used an online tool to give direction under §44B-5B-3(a) of this code or if the custodian has not provided an online tool, the user may allow or prohibit in a will, trust, power of attorney, or other record, disclosure to a fiduciary of some or all of the user’s digital assets, including the content of electronic communications sent or received by the user.
(c) A user’s direction under §44-5B-4(a) or §44-5B-4(b) of this code overrides a contrary provision in a terms-of-service agreement that does not require the user to act affirmatively and distinctly from the user’s assent to the terms of service.
§44-5B-5. Terms of service agreement.
(a) This article does not change or impair a right of a custodian or a user under a terms-of-service agreement to access and use digital assets of the user.
(b) This article does not give a fiduciary or a designated recipient any new or expanded rights other than those held by the user for whom, or for whose estate, the fiduciary or designated recipient acts or represents.
(c) A fiduciary’s or a designated recipient’s access to digital assets may be modified or eliminated by a user, by federal law, or by a terms-of-service agreement if the user has not provided direction under §44-5B-4 of this code.
§44-5B-6. Procedure for disclosing digital assets.
(b) A custodian may assess a reasonable administrative charge for the cost of disclosing digital assets under this article.
(c) A custodian need not disclose under this article a digital asset deleted by a user.
§44-5B-7. Disclosure of content of electronic communications of deceased user.
§44-5B-8. Disclosure of other digital assets of deceased user.
§44-5B-9. Disclosure of content of electronic communications of principal.
§44-5B-10. Disclosure of other digital assets of principal.
§44-5B-11. Disclosure of digital assets held in trust when trustee is original user.
Unless otherwise ordered by the court or provided in a trust instrument, a custodian shall disclose to a trustee that is an original user of an account any digital asset of the account held in trust, including a catalogue of electronic communications of the trustee and the content of electronic communications.
§44-5B-12. Disclosure of contents of electronic communications held in trust when trustee not original user.
§44-5B-13. Disclosure of other digital assets held in trust when trustee not original user.
§44-5B-14. Disclosure of digital assets to conservator of protected person.
(a) After an opportunity for a hearing under §44A-1-1 et seq. of this code, the court may grant a conservator access to the digital assets of a protected person.
(c) A conservator with general authority to manage the assets of a protected person may request a custodian of the digital assets of the protected person to suspend or terminate an account of the protected person for good cause. A request made under this section must be accompanied by a certified copy of the court order giving the conservator authority over the protected person’s property.
§44-5B-15. Fiduciary duty and authority.
(d) A fiduciary acting within the scope of the fiduciary’s duties is an authorized user of the property of the decedent, protected person, principal, or settlor for the purpose of applicable computer fraud and unauthorized computer access laws, including the provisions of §61-3C-1 et seq. of this code.
(2) Is an authorized user for the purpose of computer fraud and unauthorized computer access laws, including the provisions of §61-3C-1 et seq. of this code.
(C) A finding by the court that the user had a specific account with the custodian, identifiable by the information specified in §44-5B-15(g)(1) of this code.
§44-5B-16. Custodian compliance and immunity.
(a) Not later than 60 days after receipt of the information required under §44-5B-7 through §44-5B-15 of this code, a custodian shall comply with a request under this article from a fiduciary or designated recipient to disclose digital assets or terminate an account. If the custodian fails to comply, the fiduciary or designated recipient may apply to the court for an order directing compliance.
(b) An order under §44-5B-16(a) of this code directing compliance must contain a finding that compliance is not in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2702.
(c) A custodian may notify the user that a request for disclosure or to terminate an account was made under this article.
(d) A custodian may deny a request under §44-5B-1 et seq. of this code from a fiduciary or designated recipient for disclosure of digital assets or to terminate an account if the custodian is aware of any lawful access to the account following the receipt of the fiduciary’s request.
(f) A custodian and its officers, employees, and agents are immune from liability for an act or omission done in good faith in compliance with this article.
§44-5B-17. Uniformity of application and construction.
§44-5B-18. Relation to Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act.
This article modifies, limits, or supersedes the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act, 15 U. S. C. Section 7001 et seq., but does not modify, limit, or supersede Section 101(c) of that act, 15 U. S. C. Section 7001(c), or authorize electronic delivery of any of the notices described in Section 103(b) of that act, 15 U. S. C. Section 7003(b).
If any provision of §44-5B-1 et seq. of this code or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the invalidity does not affect other provisions or applications of this article which can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to this end the provisions of this article are severable.

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