Support the NM Identity Theft Protection Bill

From the office of NM Senator Dede Feldman:
The Credit Security Freeze -- aimed at Identity Theft -- will hit the NM Senate Floor Tuesday. Senator Dede Feldman asks everyone to call all Senators to pass the Senate Judiciary Committee Substitute for SB 448 and SB 165. Click to find contact information for your State Senator.

Listen to Sen. Feldman's latest podcast (mp3) discussing this bill (and Miss New Mexico).

Senator Feldman has been working on a compromise with everyone who's interested in protecting consumers from identity theft. The compromise would allow consumers to freeze their credit report. The Attorney General, AARP and many others support the bill Senator Feldman is sponsoring. If passed, consumers could call the credit agencies, and, for $5, place a freeze on their account information so no one with whom they do not already do business can have access to their data to open new accounts or commit crimes. Consumers can then unfreeze their accounts and allow people to see it when they want to make a major purchase.

Senator Bill Sharer (R-Farmington) introduced a related industry-backed bill. Together with Senator Sharer, Senator Feldman got everyone together and hammered out a compromise, which was passed by the Senate Judiciary Committee on Friday. Efforts are still being made to accommodate the auto dealers who want consumers to be able to "thaw" their credit almost immediately. Miss New Mexico, a victim of identity theft, who has made this her platform, was at the Capitol Friday to help with the passage of the Bill. Senator Feldman has already received many emails but urges everyone to keep them coming because there is still a long way to go before the bill is finally passed and signed into law.

Editor's Note: Be sure to add Senator Dede Feldman's Blog to your favorites and blog roll.