Code of Massachusetts Regulations
840 CMR - PUBLIC EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT ADMINISTRATION COMMISSION
Title 840 CMR 28.00 - Electronic Signatures
Section 28.02 - Definitions

The following words shall have the following meanings:

Electronic Signature:

(a) an electronic sound, symbol, or process attached to or logically associated with a record and executed or adopted by a person with the intent to sign the record;

(b) a digital signature that encrypts documents with digital codes that are particularly difficult to duplicate;

(c) a signature which is received by a retirement board or PERAC via fax, so long as the signature and the document are legible; or

(d) a signature which is received by a retirement board or PERAC as part of a scanned document, so long as the signature and the document are legible.

Faxed Document. An image of a document made by electronic scanning and transmitted as data by telecommunication links.

Prescribed Form. Any form promulgated by PERAC, or any form required by any retirement board and subject to the approval of PERAC.

Record. Information that is inscribed on a tangible medium or that is stored in an electronic or other medium and is retrievable in perceivable form.

Security Procedure. A procedure employed for the purpose of verifying that an electronic signature, digital signature, record, or performance is that of a specific person or for detecting changes or errors in the information in an electronic or digital record. Security Procedure includes a procedure that requires the use of algorithms or other codes, identifying words or numbers, encryption, or callback or other acknowledgment procedures.

Scanned Document. A physical document which has been converted into a digital image using a scanner.

Wet Signature. Created when a person marks a physical document as evidence of that person's personal witness and certification of the content of all, or a specified part, of the document.