H.R. 5050 (112th): Social Networking Online Protection Act

Introduced:
Apr 27, 2012 (112th Congress, 2011–2013)
Sponsor:
Rep. Eliot Engel [D-NY17]
Status:
Died (Referred to Committee)
See Instead:
This bill was re-introduced as H.R. 537 on Feb 06, 2013. See H.R. 537 for current action on this subject.

The bill’s title was written by the bill’s sponsor. H.R. stands for House of Representatives bill.

GovTrack’s Bill Summary

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Library of Congress Summary

The summary below was written by the Congressional Research Service, which is a nonpartisan division of the Library of Congress.


4/27/2012--Introduced.
Social Networking Online Protection Act - Prohibits employers from:
(1) requiring or requesting that an employee or applicant for employment provide a user name, password, or any other means for accessing a private email account or personal account on a social networking website; or
(2) discharging, disciplining, discriminating against, denying employment or promotion to, or threatening to take any such action against any employee or applicant who refuses to provide such information, files a compliant or institutes a proceeding under this Act, or testifies in any such proceeding.
Sets forth, with respect to employer violations of this Act:
(1) civil penalities;
(2) the authority of the Secretary of Labor to bring injunctive actions; and
(3) the jurisdiction of U.S. district courts to provide legal or equitable relief including employment, reinstatement, promotion, and payment of lost wages and benefits.
Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to prohibit certain institutions of higher education and local educational agencies from requesting such password or account information from students or potential students.
Prohibits denial of admission, suspension, expulsion, and other discipline or discrimination against students who decline to provide such information, file a complaint, institute a proceeding, or testify in any related proceeding.

House Republican Conference Summary

The summary below was written by the House Republican Conference, which is the caucus of Republicans in the House of Representatives.


No summary available.

House Democratic Caucus Summary

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The bill contains the following citations to other parts of U.S. law:

United States Code

The United States Code is the compilation of permanent laws enacted by Congress. Temporary and other non-permanent laws do not appear in the United States Code. (About half of the United States Code is the law itself, called positive law. The other half is merely a compilation of the laws but has no legal significance.)