§ 1–301.44a. Independence of legislative branch information technology.

(a) No person, including an employee or contractor of the Office of the Chief Technology Officer, or individual employed by or acting on behalf of an official of the Executive branch of the District of Columbia government, shall monitor, access, review, intercept, obtain, use, or disclose to any person or entity a record or electronic communication of a legislative branch agency without the prior express written consent of the Chairman of the Council or the District of Columbia Auditor for their electronic communications.

(b) For the purposes of this section and § 1-301.44b the term:

(1) “Electronic communication” means any transfer of signs, signals, writing, images, sounds, data, voice, or intelligence of any nature transmitted in whole or in part by a wire, radio, electromagnetic, photoelectronic, or photooptical system, including electronic mail, telecommunications, and wireless or wired network communications.

(2) “Legislative branch agency” means the Council of the District of Columbia and the District of Columbia Auditor.

(c) Persons violating this section shall be subject to a fine of not more than $10,000 or imprisonment of not more than 5 years, or both; provided, that this section shall not apply to the contents of any communication that has been disclosed publicly by the legislative branch agency.