(a) (1) No person, business, or association shall knowingly publicly post or publicly display on the Internet the home address, home telephone number, or image of any provider, employee, volunteer, or patient of a reproductive health services facility or other individuals residing at the same home address with the intent to do either of the following:
(A) Incite a third person to cause imminent great bodily harm to the person identified in the posting or display, or to a coresident of that person, where the third person is likely to commit this harm.
(B) Threaten the person identified in the posting or display, or a coresident of that person, in a manner that places the person identified or the coresident in objectively reasonable fear for his or her personal safety.
(2) A provider, employee, volunteer, or patient of a reproductive health services facility whose home address, home telephone number, or image is made public as a result of a violation of paragraph (1) may do either or both of the following:
(A) Bring an action seeking injunctive or declarative relief in any court of competent jurisdiction. If a jury or court finds that a violation has occurred, it may grant injunctive or declarative relief and shall award the successful plaintiff court costs and reasonable attorney’s fees.
(B) Bring an action for money damages in any court of competent jurisdiction. In addition to any other legal rights or remedies, if a jury or court finds that a violation has occurred, it shall award damages to that individual in an amount up to a maximum of three times the actual damages, but in no case less than four thousand dollars ($4,000).
(b) (1) No person, business, or association shall publicly post or publicly display on the Internet the home address or home telephone number of any provider, employee, volunteer, or patient of a reproductive health services facility if that individual has made a written demand of that person, business, or association to not disclose his or her home address or home telephone number. A demand made under this paragraph shall include a sworn statement declaring that the person is subject to the protection of this section and describing a reasonable fear for the safety of that individual or of any person residing at the individual’s home address, based on a violation of subdivision (a). A written demand made under this paragraph shall be effective for four years, regardless of whether or not the individual’s affiliation with a reproductive health services facility has expired prior to the end of the four-year period.
(2) A provider, employee, volunteer, or patient of a reproductive health services facility whose home address or home telephone number is made public as a result of a failure to honor a demand made pursuant to paragraph (1) may bring an action seeking injunctive or declarative relief in any court of competent jurisdiction. If a jury or court finds that a violation has occurred, it may grant injunctive or declarative relief and shall award the successful plaintiff court costs and reasonable attorney’s fees.
(3) This subdivision shall not apply to a person or entity defined in Section 1070 of the Evidence Code.
(c) (1) No person, business, or association shall solicit, sell, or trade on the Internet the home address, home telephone number, or image of a provider, employee, volunteer, or patient of a reproductive health services facility with the intent to do either of the following:
(A) Incite a third person to cause imminent great bodily harm to the person identified in the posting or display, or to a coresident of that person, where the third person is likely to commit this harm.
(B) Threaten the person identified in the posting or display, or a coresident of that person, in a manner that places the person identified or the coresident in objectively reasonable fear for his or her personal safety.
(2) A provider, employee, volunteer, or patient of a reproductive health services facility whose home address, home telephone number, or image is solicited, sold, or traded in violation of paragraph (1) may bring an action in any court of competent jurisdiction. In addition to any other legal rights and remedies, if a jury or court finds that a violation has occurred, it shall award damages to that individual in an amount up to a maximum of three times the actual damages, but in no case less than four thousand dollars ($4,000).
(d) An interactive computer service or access software provider, as defined in Section 230(f) of Title 47 of the United States Code, shall not be liable under this section unless the service or provider intends to abet or cause bodily harm that is likely to occur or threatens to cause bodily harm to a provider, employee, volunteer, or patient of a reproductive health services facility or any person residing at the same home address.
(e) Nothing in this section is intended to preclude punishment under any other provision of law.
(Added by Stats. 2006, Ch. 486, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2007.)
Last modified: October 25, 2018