What's happening
This bill prohibits consumer reporting agencies from requesting or requiring a copy of a consumer's social security card.
Why it matters
Reduces identity theft risk. By prohibiting consumer reporting agencies from requesting or requiring copies of consumers' social security cards, the bill limits the unnecessary circulation of sensitive, easily abused documents, helping to reduce the risk of identity theft and fraud.
Maintains credit verification processes. The bill still allows agencies to request a consumer’s social security number for identification purposes, so necessary credit checks and identity verification can continue without the need for physical card copies.
Eases documentation burden for consumers. Consumers will no longer need to provide or locate their physical social security card when dealing with credit reporting agencies, making common processes like credit checks or disputes less cumbersome.
Aligns security practices. The change reflects broader trends in data security, shifting away from reliance on physical documents that can be lost or stolen, and encouraging safer, more modern forms of identity verification.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Limit Credit Report ID Requests
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
Senator · Senate District 32
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to consumer protection
- Referred to consumer protection
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1699
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 15, 2019
Introduced by Sen. SEPULVEDA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Consumer Protection
AN ACT to amend the general business law, in relation to prohibiting consumer reporting agencies from requiring or requesting certain consumer information
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Paragraph 1 of subdivision (t) 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:
(1) a social security number [or a copy of a social security card issued by the social security administration];
§ 2. Section 380-v of the general business law, as relettered by chapter 441 of the laws of 2014, is relettered section 380-w and a new section 380-v is added to read as follows:
§ 380-v. Limitations on requests for identifying documentation. Consumer reporting agencies shall not require or request a copy of a consumer's social security card. For the purposes of proper identification of a consumer, a consumer reporting agency may request or require such consumer's social security number.
§ 3. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07059-01-9
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the general business law, in relation to prohibiting consumer reporting agencies from requiring or requesting certain consum- er information
Purpose of the bill
To improve consumer protection against fraud and misuse of consumer confidential information. This bill will cease the practice of false consumer reporting agencies requesting confidential information such as a copy of a social security card. This bill will deny consumer reporting agencies from requesting a copy of a consumer's social security card. For the purposes of proper identification consumer reporting agencies may request a social security number.
Summary of specific provisions
Section 1 provides what is acceptable as sufficient proof of identifica- tion
Section 2 amends section 380-v of the general business law and re-let- ters it as section 380-w while also adding a new section 380-v as follows:
Section 380-v puts limitations on requests for identifying documenta- tion. Section 3 provides the date in which this act will take effect.
Justification
In New York State, identity theft has increased forty-seven percent between 2014 and 2015. In 2015, debt collection complaints of identity theft were the top complaint for the first time in sixteen years. In 2015 alone, in the United States, 15.3 billion dollars was stolen from 13.1 million people and in 2016, 16 billion dollars was stolen from 15.4 million people. Identity theft and misuse of identification documents such as social security cards is an increasing detrimental problem that needs to be confronted immediately. The most common type of identity theft is theft of government documents. This bill will cease consumer reporting agencies from requesting copies of social security cards, therefore putting a blockade in front of false agencies attempting to commit fraud. This bill will inevitably protect millions of people from falling victim to identity theft and fraud.
Legislative history
S.8427 of 2018, referred to consumer protection
Fiscal implications
None
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the nineteenth day after it shall have become a law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.