House passes credit-freeze legislation

OLYMPIA –The state House today approved legislation to allow consumers to initiate credit freezes before they become victims of identity theft.

“In order to effectively combat identity theft, people must take proactive steps to protect themselves from these criminals,” said state Rep. Christopher Hurst (D-Enumclaw), who sponsored a similar measure in the House. “This legislation will allow every consumer to freeze their credit at the first sign of trouble.”

After extensive negotiations led by Hurst between the House and Senate, Senate Bill 5828 now would allow consumers to take simple steps to keep identity thieves from getting their hands on their credit. The provisions now reflected in Senate Bill 5828 were originally proposed by Hurst in House Bill 1788.

“Past efforts by the Legislature to address ID theft were completely gutted by industry lobbyists,” Hurst said. “Protecting consumers from ID theft was one of my top priorities when I decided to return to the House and I am proud to see this legislation move on the governor.”

When Senate Bill 5828 becomes law, consumers will be able to freeze their credit if they feel threatened, thus preventing thieves from ripping them off and destroying their credit. Provisions are also put in place to allow consumers to quickly unfreeze their credit for legitimate use.

“ID theft was the number one crime issue I heard about when I was out meeting constituents this summer,” said Hurst. “Senior citizens are the favorite target of these thieves because most seniors don’t use their credit often and don’t review their credit reports.”

Senate Bill 5828 received a 96-0 vote in the House and awaits concurrence by the Senate.

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Bill Information: Senate Bill 5828 - Modifying consumer credit report provisions

Staff Contact: Jeff Muhm (360) 786-7237