"It's not complicated," said Assemblyman John Burzichelli, a Democrat. "All of us have watched technology evolve around us. What was not there 20 years ago is part of today's general routine."

He said citizens are especially vulnerable in today's economy, and noted employers can already find much of what current or prospective employees are doing in the online public domain without asking for account names or passwords.

"A person is entitled to privacy, understanding that what you do on the Internet is in large part public anyway," Burzichelli said.

Assembly Majority Leader Louis Greenwald, also a Democrat, said the practice is invasive and raises questions about where to draw the line.

"With the economy still struggling to gain traction, most people don't have the luxury of standing up to a prospective employer and denying this type of request," he said.

But several representatives of business groups told lawmakers the bill could lead to expensive lawsuits. They also want exceptions for investigating claims against employees, like insider trading or sexual harassment.

Assemblywoman DiAnne Gove abstained from voting, saying she wanted lawmakers to better clarify how the bills would affect businesses first.

"I'm not saying no to the bill, but at this time I'm going to abstain because I just want to see it refined a little more," said Gove, a Republican. "We want it to be right for both the employerand the employee and not rush it. It's too important."

The measures now head to the full Assembly for consideration.