Jim Rosica
Legislation that would protect one’s “digital assets” after death has been passed by the Florida Legislature.
The bill (SB 494) now heads to Gov. Rick Scott‘s desk after the House passed it 116-0 Wednesday. The Senate previously approved it on a 36-0 vote.
Under the bill, someone of a person’s choosing could have access to and control their financial accounts, social media and almost anything else the person has online after their death.
Those include emails, text messages, online photographs, documents stored in the cloud, electronic bank statements, and other electronic communications or records.
The “asset” manager could be next of kin, a friend, an attorney, or anyone the person selects.
State Sen. Dorothy Hukill, a Port Orange Republican, sponsored the bill.
“We are making sure that digital assets, which are integral to our lives now, are protected,” she said in a statement. “Digital assets will now be handled as part of our estate-planning process in a similar way to other valuable assets and property.”
