BILL NUMBER: SB 926 CHAPTERED 10/04/99 CHAPTER 586 FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE OCTOBER 4, 1999 APPROVED BY GOVERNOR OCTOBER 2, 1999 PASSED THE SENATE SEPTEMBER 7, 1999 PASSED THE ASSEMBLY SEPTEMBER 3, 1999 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY AUGUST 17, 1999 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JULY 8, 1999 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JUNE 24, 1999 AMENDED IN SENATE MAY 10, 1999 AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 5, 1999 INTRODUCED BY Senator Speier FEBRUARY 25, 1999 An act to add Title 1.4B (commencing with Section 1749.60) to Part 4 of Division 3 of the Civil Code, relating to personal information. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SB 926, Speier. Personal information: supermarkets. Existing law regulates various consumer marketing practices, as specified. This bill would enact the Supermarket Club Card Disclosure Act of 1999. The act would prohibit a club card issuer from requiring an applicant for a supermarket club card to provide a driver's license or social security account number as a condition of obtaining the card. The act would also prohibit a club card issuer from selling or sharing personal identification information regarding cardholders, except as specified. The bill would also set forth various applicable definitions, and make any violation punishable as "unfair competition" pursuant to specified provisions of the Business and Professions Code. The bill would provide that its provisions are to become operative on July 1, 2000. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Title 1.4B (commencing with Section 1749.60) is added to Part 4 of Division 3 of the Civil Code, to read: TITLE 1.4B. SUPERMARKET CLUB CARDS 1749.60. This title shall be known and may be cited as the "Supermarket Club Card Disclosure Act of 1999." 1749.61. For purposes of this title: (a) "Cardholder" means any consumer to whom a supermarket club card is issued, provided that in cases where more than one supermarket club card has been issued for the same account, all persons holding those supermarket club cards may be treated as a single cardholder. (b) "Supermarket" means any retailer that sells food items. (c) "Supermarket club card" means any card, plate, coupon book, or other single device existing for the purpose of being used from time to time upon presentation for price discounts on retail products offered by the club card issuer. "Supermarket club card" does not include any credit card that is subject to Section 1748.12. (d) "Club card issuer" means a supermarket that provides supermarket club cards to consumers, and includes a supermarket's contract information services provider. (e) "Marketing information" means the categorization of cardholders compiled by a club card issuer, based on a cardholder's shopping patterns, spending history, or behavioral characteristics derived from account activity which is provided to any person or entity for consideration. "Marketing information" does not include aggregate data which does not identify a cardholder based on the cardholder's shopping patterns, spending history, or behavioral characteristics derived from account activity. 1749.63. A violation of this title constitutes "unfair competition" as defined in Section 17200 of the Business and Professions Code and is punishable as prescribed in Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 17200) of Part 2 of Division 7 of the Business and Professions Code. 1749.64. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no club card issuer shall request in a supermarket club card application, or require as a condition of obtaining a supermarket club card, that an applicant provide a driver's license number or a social security account number. This section shall not be construed to prohibit a club card issuer from requesting a driver's license number or a social security account number for a supermarket club card that can also be used as identification for check cashing purposes or to debit the checking or savings account of the cardholder. However, no club card issuer shall, as a condition of obtaining a supermarket club card, require a cardholder to obtain a supermarket club card that can also be used as identification for check cashing purposes or to debit the checking or savings account of the cardholder. 1749.65. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no club card issuer may sell or share a cardholder's name, address, telephone number, or other personal identification information. (b) Nothing in this section is intended to prevent a club card issuer from providing names and addresses of cardholders to a third party for purposes of mailing supermarket club card information to cardholders on behalf of the club card issuer. However, that third party shall not use the information for any other purpose. (c) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), this section does not prohibit a club card issuer from sharing marketing information that includes cardholder names and addresses if the club card issuer complies with all of the following: (1) The club card issuer charges an annual fee for its supermarket club card. (2) The club card issuer requires cardholders to renew supermarket club cards annually and to pay an annual renewal fee. (3) The club card issuer allows only cardholders, and not members of the public, to make purchases in the supermarket. (4) The club card issuer provides a privacy statement to the cardholder in the supermarket club card application and in the club card issuer's annual renewal material notifying cardholders that outside companies will be receiving marketing information including names and addresses of cardholders, and the cardholder has agreed to allow the club card issuer to share this information. (5) Prior to selling or transferring names and addresses of cardholders to an outside company, the club card issuer has obtained a written confidentiality agreement from the outside company that the outside company will not sell or share the information with any other entity. SEC. 2. This title shall become operative on July 1, 2000.