The
Texas Public Interest Research Group (TexPIRG) is calling on the Texas
Legislature to combat identity theft by approving Senate Bill 222, filed by
Senator Rodney Ellis. SB 222 will dramatically increase the ability of Texas consumers to protect their private
information and thus their financial security and credit ratings.
“Senator
Ellis has long been an effective leader on the issue of identity theft,” said
Jeff Brooks, Advocate for TexPIRG.
“We’re delighted to see this legislation and we hope the rest of the
legislature follows the lead of Senator Ellis by getting this bill on a fast
track to becoming law.”
Under
current law, Texas
citizens can only gain a complete security freeze on their credit report if
they have a police report. While this
provides effective security in some cases of identity theft, such as when a
person has a check stolen out of their mail box, it leaves millions of citizens
unprotected from identity thieves. In
many cases of identity theft, as when a company or state agency loses large
amounts of personal information, there is no way for a citizen to obtain a
police report and hence no way for them to get a complete security freeze on
their credit.
“Under
current law, most consumers can only get a security freeze on their credit
after they have already been the victims of identity theft,” said Brooks. “That’s like putting on your seatbelt right
after you have been in a car accident.”
Senate
Bill 222 would change the law so as to allow Texas consumers to get a proper security
freeze when they believe their personal information has been compromised,
whether or not they are able to get a police report. This simple measure would greatly increase
protections against identity theft for all Texans.
Identity
theft is currently one of the fastest-growing crimes in the country, affecting
millions of citizens every year. Not
only do individuals suffer massive financial losses and loss of good credit,
but the national economy is heavily damaged.
While some effective action has taken place on both the state and
federal level, much more remains to be done to protect consumers from identity
thieves.
“The
criminals who engage in this kind of activity are, unfortunately, quite
clever,” Brooks added. “The Texas
Legislature needs to step up to the plate and enact the legislation necessary to
protect the people of Texas.”
The
bill is currently awaiting hearings in the Senate Business and Commerce
Committee. A companion bill has yet to
be filed in the House.
The Texas Public Interest Research Group is a statewide, non-partisan and
non-profit advocacy organization which works for consumer rights, good
government and a higher quality of life for the people of Texas.
