What's happening
This bill raises the age limit defining a "protected consumer" for credit security freezes from sixteen to eighteen years old.
Why it matters
Extends consumer protections against identity theft. By raising the age limit for "protected consumers" from 16 to 18, the bill allows more minors—especially older teens, who may be increasingly targeted as they approach adulthood—to benefit from easier credit security freezes.
Empowers parents and guardians for longer. Parents or legal guardians can continue to manage and secure the credit files of their children until age 18, potentially preventing fraudulent credit activity before a young person is legally able to act independently.
Aligns with the age of legal adulthood. The change synchronizes credit security protections with other legal thresholds that begin at 18, streamlining when young people assume full responsibility for their financial and legal affairs.
May reduce long-term credit repair costs. Preventing unauthorized credit activity for a longer period can help save families and young adults from the significant time and expense of fixing credit records compromised during late adolescence.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Expand Youth Consumer Protections
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to consumer affairs and protection
- Referred to consumer affairs and protection
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Raise Protected Age to 18
In Senate Committee · Consumer Protection · Sponsor Leroy Comrie
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
2763
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 23, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. SIMOTAS -- read once and referred to the Committee on Consumer Affairs and Protection
AN ACT to amend the general business law, in relation to the definition of "protected consumer"
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision (o) of section 380-a of the general business law, as added by chapter 441 of the laws of 2014, is amended to read as follows:
(o) The term "protected consumer" means an individual who is under the age of [sixteen] eighteen years at the time a request for the placement of a security freeze is made.
§ 2. Paragraph 2 of subdivision (f) of section 380-u of the general business law, as amended by chapter 3 of the laws of 2015, is amended to read as follows:
(2) Provide to the consumer credit reporting agency: (i) in the case of a request by the protected consumer: (A) proof that the sufficient proof of authority for the protected consumer's representative to act on behalf of the protected consumer is no longer valid or that the protected consumer has attained the age of [sixteen] eighteen; and (B) sufficient proof of identification of the protected consumer; or (ii) in the case of a request by the representative of a protected consumer: (A) sufficient proof of identification of the protected consumer and the representative; and (B) sufficient proof of authority to act on behalf of the protected consumer; and (C) payment to the consumer credit reporting agency of a fee, if any, as provided in subdivision (h) of this section.
§ 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00358-01-7
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.