SB 242 – relating to Security of a Protected Consumer’s Information
On Tuesday, April 22nd, SB 242, relating to Security of a Protected Consumer’s Information, by Senator Nancy Detert (R-Venice) unanimously passed on the House floor. The bill will now be sent to the Governor for consideration.

The bill creates the “Keeping I.D. Safe (KIDS) Act” to authorize a representative of a minor consumer younger than sixteen years of age, or a guardian, to place a security freeze on that consumer’s credit report. The reason being, while parents typically apply for a Social Security number for their child shortly after birth, a credit reporting agency does not create a credit report or history until an application for credit is received. An identity thief will typically apply for credit with a child’s Social Security number, but with a different name and date of birth. As a result, the identity theft may go undetected for years. A recent study conducted by ID Analytics estimated that more than 140,000 instances of identity fraud are perpetrated on minors in the United States each year.

AIF supports protecting consumer information to guard minors from potential identity theft. Any legislation resulting in reduced instances of credit fraud is a common-sense action for the Legislature.