Berkey’s credit freeze legislation on way to governor’s desk

OLYMPIA – Legislation to improve the state’s two-year-old credit freeze law is only a signature away from becoming enacted after the Senate today unanimously concurred with House amendments to Senate Bill 5826.

Sen. Jean Berkey, D-Everett, who authored the original legislation in 2005 and sponsored SB 5826, called a credit freeze an important weapon in the war on identity theft.

“Identity theft is a different kind of attack, and we can’t assume that law enforcement will protect us,” Berkey said. “We all need to take responsibility for our self-defense, and a credit freeze helps shield us from identity theft.”

Previously approved by the Senate, the measure improves upon the state’s credit freeze law by expanding it to all consumers while also allowing for a short-term “thaw.”

Current law allows only victims of identity theft the option of prohibiting a credit reporting agency from releasing credit information without the consumer’s authorization.

SB 5826 would amend current law in several ways:

• Credit freeze provisions would apply to all consumers, not just victims of identity theft;
• Consumers could request a short-term thaw in order to access their credit in an emergency;
• Responsibilities would be defined for both the consumer and the credit reporting agency when the request is made; and
• Those aged 65 years and older would be exempt from fees associated with placing a credit freeze.

SB 5826 now goes to the governor for her signature.

Return to Sen. Berkey's home page