S.E.A. 253, P.L. 137
Effective: July 1, 2016
Enacts the Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act of the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws. Defines “digital asset” as an electronic record in which an individual has a right or interest. Defines “custodian” as a person that carries, maintains, processes, receives, or stores a digital asset. Defines “user” as a person for whom a custodian carries, maintains, processes, receives, or stores the digital asset. Defines “fiduciary” as an attorney in fact, guardian, personal representative, or trustee of a user. Authorizes a user to use an online tool to direct the custodian to disclose or not to disclose some or all of the user’s digital assets. Provides that if an online tool allows the user to modify or delete a direction at all times, a user’s direction to the custodian through use of the online tool concerning disclosure overrides a contrary direction by the user in a will, trust, power of attorney, or other record, but otherwise the user, in a will, trust, power of attorney, or other record, may allow or prohibit disclosure to a fiduciary of some or all of the user’s digital assets. Requires a custodian, under certain circumstances, to disclose to the personal representative of the estate of the user the content of an electronic communication sent or received by the user, or a catalogue of electronic communications sent or received by the user. Requires a custodian, under certain circumstances, to disclose to an attorney in fact the content of the electronic communications of the user, or a catalogue of electronic communications sent or received by the user, if the user, through a power of attorney, conferred upon the attorney in fact authority over the content of electronic communications sent or received by the user. Requires a custodian, under certain circumstances, to disclose to a trustee the content of an electronic communication sent or received by a user and carried, maintained, processed, received, or stored by the custodian in the account of the trust, or to disclose to the trustee a catalogue of electronic communications sent or received by a user and stored, carried, or maintained by the custodian in the account of the trust. Provides that a court may grant a guardian access to the digital assets of the protected person and that, under certain circumstances, a custodian is required to disclose to a guardian a catalogue of electronic communications sent or received by the protected person. Authorizes a fiduciary of a user to request that a custodian terminate the user’s account. Provides that, if the conditions for compliance are met, a custodian must comply with a request from a fiduciary to disclose digital assets or terminate an account within 60 days, and if the custodian fails to comply with the request, the fiduciary may apply for a court order directing compliance. Provides that the legal duties imposed on a fiduciary charged with managing tangible property also apply to a fiduciary charged with managing digital assets. Amends the law on unsupervised administration of a decedent’s estate to provide that a distributee has the same rights as a personal representative to access the digital assets of the decedent. Makes conforming amendments. Provides that a custodian is immune from liability for an act done or omission made in good faith in compliance with the Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act.
The full law is available at: http://iga.in.gov/legislative/2016/bills/senate/253