The Judiciary Committee heard testimony Jan. 24 on a bill that would clarify the treatment of digital assets upon an individual\u2019s death.<\/p>\n
LB37, introduced by Lexington Sen. John Wightman, would allow a personal representative or a court-appointed administrator of an estate to possess, conduct, continue or terminate social networking, microblogging or short message service websites or email accounts upon the death of the account owner.<\/p>\n
Wightman said there is a conflict between state law and the federal Telecommunications Act\u2014which was last amended in 1996 to include the Internet in the broadcasting spectrum\u2014that should be reconciled to provide clarity for attorneys.<\/p>\n
Andrew Loudon, a Lincoln estate-planning attorney, testified in support of the bill. He cited instances in which Facebook posts inappropriately were made on behalf of deceased individuals.<\/p>\n
The bill would help personal representatives terminate digital accounts of deceased individuals, he said, which could help prevent such a problem.<\/p>\n
Steve DelBianco, executive director of NetChoice, testified in opposition to the bill, saying a state law could override any terms of service the deceased had agreed to before they died. Digital accounts include e-commerce accounts that operate throughout state borders, he said, so a uniform law is needed to create consistency among such cases.<\/p>\n
Steve Wilborn is chair of the Uniform Law Commission (ULC), a group that drafts legislation for states in an attempt to provide clarity and stability to laws. He testified in a neutral capacity, saying the commission currently is drafting a more comprehensive law addressing digital assets.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe ULC provides bills that are very well drafted and highly competent. But because of that, we do not work at a fast speed,\u201d Wilborn said. \u201cThis is an important topic and [the commission] would understand if the state wants to act now,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
The committee took no immediate action on the bill.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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