SECTIONS 1798.3

1798.3.  As used in this chapter: (a) The term "personal information" means any information that ismaintained by an agency that identifies or describes an individual,including, but not limited to, his or her name, social securitynumber, physical description, home address, home telephone number,education, financial matters, and medical or employment history. Itincludes statements made by, or attributed to, the individual. (b) The term "agency" means every state office, officer,department, division, bureau, board, commission, or other stateagency, except that the term agency shall not include: (1) The California Legislature. (2) Any agency established under Article VI of the CaliforniaConstitution. (3) The State Compensation Insurance Fund, except as to anyrecords which contain personal information about the employees of theState Compensation Insurance Fund. (4) A local agency, as defined in subdivision (a) of Section 6252of the Government Code. (c) The term "disclose" means to disclose, release, transfer,disseminate, or otherwise communicate all or any part of any recordorally, in writing, or by electronic or any other means to any personor entity. (d) The term "individual" means a natural person. (e) The term "maintain" includes maintain, acquire, use, ordisclose. (f) The term "person" means any natural person, corporation,partnership, limited liability company, firm, or association. (g) The term "record" means any file or grouping of informationabout an individual that is maintained by an agency by reference toan identifying particular such as the individual's name, photograph,finger or voice print, or a number or symbol assigned to theindividual. (h) The term "system of records" means one or more records, whichpertain to one or more individuals, which is maintained by anyagency, from which information is retrieved by the name of anindividual or by some identifying number, symbol or other identifyingparticular assigned to the individual. (i) The term "governmental entity," except as used in Section1798.26, means any branch of the federal government or of the localgovernment. (j) The term "commercial purpose" means any purpose which hasfinancial gain as a major objective. It does not include thegathering or dissemination of newsworthy facts by a publisher orbroadcaster. (k) The term "regulatory agency" means the Department of FinancialInstitutions, the Department of Corporations, the Department ofInsurance, the Department of Real Estate, and agencies of the UnitedStates or of any other state responsible for regulating financialinstitutions.