,,ii  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #adbf  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,august #a1    
#bjac ,mr4 ,blumenthal 7for himself1    
,mr4 ,schumer1 ,mr4 ,wyden1 ,mrs4       
,shaheen1 ,ms4 ,klobuchar1 ,mr4         
,heinrich1 and ,mr4 ,schatz7 introduced 
the following bill2 which was read twice
 and referred to the ,committee on      
,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and        
,pensions  ,a ,,bill  ,to prohibit      
employers from compelling or coercing   
any person to authorize access to a     
protected computer1 and for other       
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,password           
,protection ,act of #bjac4  #b4         
,prohibited activity  7a7 ,in general   
,section #ajcj7;a7 of title #ah1 ,united
 ,states ,code1 is amended--  7#a7 in   
paragraph 7#g77;,c71 by inserting or    
after the semicolon2 and  7#b7 by       
inserting after paragraph 7#g77;,c7 the 
following3  7#h7 acting as an employer1 
knowingly and intentionally--  7,a7 for 

the purposes of employing1 promoting1 or
 terminating employment1 compels or     
coerces any person to authorize access1 
such as by providing a password or      
similar information through which a     
computer may be accessed1 to a protected
 computer that is not the employer's    
protected computer1 and thereby obtains 
information from such protected         
computer2 or  7,b7 discharges1          
disciplines1 discriminates against in   
any manner1 or threatens to take any    
such action against1 any person--  7i7  
for failing to authorize access         
described in subparagraph 7,a7 to a     
protected computer that is not the      
employer's protected computer2 or  7ii7 
who has filed any complaint or          
instituted or caused to be instituted   
any proceeding under or related to this 
paragraph1 or has testified or is about 
to testify in any such proceeding2  4   
7b7 ,fine ,section #ajcj7;c7 of title   
#ah1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended--
  7#a7 in paragraph 7#d77;,g77ii71 by   

striking the period at the end and      
inserting 2 and2 and  7#b7 by adding at 
the end the following3  7#e7 a fine     
under this title1 in the case of an     
offense under subsection 7a77#h7 or an  
attempt to commit an offense punishable 
under this paragraph4  4  7c7           
,definitions ,section #ajcj7;e7 of title
 #ah1 ,united ,states ,code1 is         
amended--  7#a7 in paragraph 7#aa71 by  
striking and after the semicolon2  7#b7 
in paragraph 7#ab71 by striking the     
period and inserting a semicolon2 and   
7#c7 by adding at the end the following3
  7#ac7 the term employee means an      
employee1 as such term is defined in    
section #bja7b7 of the ,genetic         
,information ,nondiscrimination ,act of 
#bjjh 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bjjj;ff7#b772     
7#ad7 the term employer means an        
employer1 as such term is defined in    
such section #bja7b72 and  7#ae7 the    
term employer's protected computer means
 a protected computer of the employer1  
including any protected computer owned1 

operated1 or otherwise controlled by1   
for1 or on behalf of that employer4  4  
7d7 ,exceptions ,section #ajcj7;f7 of   
title #ah1 ,united ,states ,code1 is    
amended--  7#a7 by striking 7f7 ,this   
and inserting 7f77#a7 ,this2 and  7#b7  
by adding at the end the following3     
7#b7 7,a7 ,nothing in subsection 7a77#h7
 shall be construed to limit the        
authority of a court of competent       
jurisdiction to grant equitable relief  
in a civil action1 if the court         
determines that there are specific and  
articulable facts showing that there are
 reasonable grounds to believe that the 
information sought to be obtained is    
relevant and material to protecting the 
intellectual property1 a trade secret1  
or confidential business information of 
the party seeking the relief4  7,b7     
,notwithstanding subsection 7a77#h71 the
 prohibition in such subsection shall   
not apply to an employer's actions if-- 
7i7 the employer discharges or otherwise
 disciplines an individual for good     

cause and an activity protected under   
subsection 7a77#h7 is not a motivating  
factor for the discharge or discipline  
of the individual2  7ii7 the employer is
 complying with the requirements of a   
,federal or ,state law1 rule1 or        
regulation or a rule of a               
self-regulatory organization 7as defined
 in section #c7;a77#bf7 of the          
,securities and ,exchange ,act of #aicd 
7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #gh;c7a77#bf7772  7iii7 a
 ,state enacts a law that specifically  
waives subsection 7a77#h7 with respect  
to a particular class of ,state         
government employees or employees who   
work with individuals under #ac years of
 age1 and the employer's action relates 
to an employee in such class2 or  7iv7  
an ,executive agency 7as defined in     
section #aje of title #e71 a military   
department 7as defined in section #ajb  
of such title71 or any other entity     
within the executive branch that comes  
into the possession of classified       
information1 including the ,defense     

,intelligence ,agency1 ,national        
,security ,agency1 and ,national        
,reconnaissance ,office1 specifically   
waives subsection 7a77#h7 with respect  
to a particular class of employees      
requiring eligibility for access to     
classified information under ,executive 
,order #abifh 7#fj ,fed4 ,reg4 #djbde71 
or any successor thereto1 and the       
employer's action relates to an employee
 in such class4  4