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HB0204 • 2020

SIM card identity protection.

AN ACT relating to consumer protection; providing that failure to prevent SIM card swapping is an unlawful trade practice; and providing for an effective date.

Inactive

Wyoming marks this bill as inactive, which usually means it is no longer moving in the current session.

Sponsor
Representative Western
Last action
2020-03-11
Official status
inactive
Effective date
3/1/2020

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material did not provide additional details beyond the bill text and summary.

SIM Card Identity Protection

A bill that makes it illegal for telecommunications companies to fail to take reasonable steps to prevent unauthorized SIM card swapping.

What This Bill Does

  • Defines what a SIM card, SIM card swapping, and other related terms mean in the context of this law.
  • Requires telecommunications companies to take reasonable actions to stop unauthorized SIM card swapping.
  • Makes it an unlawful trade practice if a company fails to prevent unauthorized SIM card swapping.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Telecommunications companies
  • People who use cellular phones or other communication devices

Terms To Know

SIM card
A device that stores information needed to identify and authenticate a subscriber using a cell phone or similar device.
Telecommunications company
A business that provides services like cellular phone service.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill did not pass in the current session.
  • It is unclear how telecommunications companies will implement these requirements.
  • The bill does not specify what 'reasonable actions' are, leaving it up to interpretation.

Bill History

  1. 2020-03-11 House

    H:Died in Committee Returned Bill Pursuant to HR 5-4

  2. 2020-02-26 House

    H No report prior to CoW Cutoff

  3. 2020-02-13 House

    H Introduced and Referred to H07 - Corporations 58-1-1-0-0

  4. 2020-02-12 House

    H Received for Introduction

  5. 2020-02-11 LSO

    Bill Number Assigned

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
20LSO-0116
2020
STATE OF WYOMING
20LSO-0116
Numbered
2.0

HOUSE BILL NO. HB0204

SIM card identity protection.

Sponsored by: Representative(s) Western, Lindholm, Olsen and Yin and Senator(s) Case, Driskill, Nethercott and Rothfuss

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to consumer protection; providing that failure to prevent SIM card swapping is an unlawful trade practice; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1.

W.S. 40
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12
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801 and 40
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12
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802 are created to read:

ARTICLE 8
SIM CARD IDENTITY PROTECTION

40
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12
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801.

Definitions.

(a)

As used in this article:

(i)

"SIM card" means any device that is intended to be used to securely store a telecommunications subscriber's international mobile subscriber identity number and its related key and that is used to identify and authenticate a subscriber using a cellular telephone or other communication device;

(ii)

"SIM card swapping" means an action by a third party that permits the third party to transfer the data of a telecommunications subscriber's SIM card to another SIM card and gain access to the subscriber's account;

(iii)

"Telecommunications company" means as defined by W.S. 39
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13
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101(a)(vi);

(iv)

"Telecommunications service" means as defined by W.S. 39
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13
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101(a)(vii);

(v)

"Telecommunications subscriber" means a person who purchases telecommunications service from a telecommunications company.

40
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12
‑
802.

SIM card swapping unlawful.

(a)

A telecommunications company shall take reasonable actions to prevent SIM card swapping that is not authorized by the telecommunications subscriber.

(b)

If SIM card swapping occurs in violation of subsection (a) of this section, the telecommunications company has committed an unlawful practice under W.S. 40
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12
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105. It shall not be a violation of this subsection if the telecommunications company can establish that an action of the telecommunications subscriber allowed or caused the SIM card swapping to occur.

Section 2.

W.S. 40
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12
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105(a) by creating a new paragraph (xviii) is amended to read:

40
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12
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105.

Unlawful practices.

(a)

A person engages in a deceptive trade practice unlawful under this act when, in the course of his business
and in connection with a consumer transaction, he knowingly:

(xviii)

Fails to take reasonable actions to prevent SIM card swapping as provided in W.S. 40
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12
‑
802.

Section 3
.

This act is effective July 1, 2020
.

(END)

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HB0204