Bill Text: IL HB5137 | 2009-2010 | 96th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Creates the Foster Child Identification Theft Protection Act. Provides that every Department of Children and Family Services caseworker shall annually request from a credit reporting agency a credit report on each child who is in foster care and assigned to the caseworker as a client. Provides that if a credit report indicates unauthorized credit-related activity in a child's name, the caseworker shall notify the credit reporting agency and request that the agency correct the child's credit record to expunge all references to the unauthorized credit-related activity or take other action that will expressly and clearly indicate that the activity was unauthorized. Provides that a caseworker shall also report such unauthorized credit-related activity to the State's Attorney. Requires the Department of Children and Family Services to develop standard forms for use by caseworkers in connection with these provisions.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-03-15 - Rule 19(a) / Re-referred to Rules Committee [HB5137 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2009-HB5137-Introduced.html
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1 | AN ACT concerning children.
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2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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3 | represented in the General Assembly:
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4 | Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Foster | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
5 | Child Identification Theft Protection Act.
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6 | Section 5. Findings. The General Assembly finds as follows: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
7 | (1) A mother of a child in foster care, or another | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
8 | person, may apply for a social security number for such a | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
9 | child and then unlawfully sell that social security number | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
10 | to a third person to enable that third person to use the | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
11 | child's social security number for unauthorized purposes. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
12 | (2) A buyer of a foster child's social security number | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
13 | may use that number to open credit accounts and make | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
14 | purchases in the child's name. Typically, the child does | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
15 | not discover that activity until he or she leaves the | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
16 | foster care system and tries to apply for a student loan, | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
17 | buy a car, rent an apartment, or take another action that | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
18 | is unsuccessful because of a bad credit report resulting | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
19 | from the theft of the child's identity and unauthorized use | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
20 | of the child's social security number. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
21 | (3) The credit reporting system places the burden on | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
22 | the victim of identity theft to resolve the problem.
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1 | Section 10. Definitions. In this Act: | ||||||
2 | "Credit reporting agency" means any person that, for | ||||||
3 | monetary fees or dues
or on a
cooperative nonprofit basis, | ||||||
4 | regularly engages in whole or in part in the
practice
of | ||||||
5 | assembling or evaluating consumer credit-related information | ||||||
6 | or other information on
consumers for the purpose of furnishing | ||||||
7 | credit reports to third parties. | ||||||
8 | "Credit report" means any written, oral, or other | ||||||
9 | communication of
information by a
credit reporting agency | ||||||
10 | bearing on a consumer's credit worthiness, credit
standing, or | ||||||
11 | credit capacity. | ||||||
12 | "Department" means the Department of Children and Family | ||||||
13 | Services.
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14 | Section 15. Credit reports for children in foster care. | ||||||
15 | (a) Every caseworker employed by the Department shall | ||||||
16 | annually request from a credit reporting agency a credit report | ||||||
17 | on each child who is in foster care and assigned to the | ||||||
18 | caseworker as a client. | ||||||
19 | (b) If a credit report requested under subsection (a) | ||||||
20 | indicates unauthorized credit-related activity in the child's | ||||||
21 | name based on use of the child's social security number, the | ||||||
22 | caseworker shall promptly notify the credit reporting agency | ||||||
23 | from whom the caseworker received the credit report. The | ||||||
24 | caseworker shall inform the credit reporting agency of the | ||||||
25 | child's age and inability to engage in credit-related activity |
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1 | and shall request that the credit reporting agency correct the | ||||||
2 | child's credit record to expunge all references to the | ||||||
3 | unauthorized credit-related activity or take other action that | ||||||
4 | will expressly and clearly indicate that the activity was | ||||||
5 | unauthorized.
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6 | Section 20. Report to State's Attorney. If a credit report | ||||||
7 | reveals unauthorized credit-related activity in a child's | ||||||
8 | name, the caseworker shall report the matter to the State's | ||||||
9 | Attorney.
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10 | Section 25. Forms. The Department shall develop standard | ||||||
11 | forms for use by caseworkers to request a credit report on | ||||||
12 | behalf of a child in foster care, to respond to a credit | ||||||
13 | reporting agency on behalf of a child if a credit report | ||||||
14 | indicates unauthorized credit-related activity in the child's | ||||||
15 | name, and to report unauthorized credit-related activity in a | ||||||
16 | child's name to the State's Attorney.
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