Text: HSB00036 Text: HSB00038 Text: HSB00000 - HSB00099 Text: HSB Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
PAG LIN 1 1 DIVISION I 1 2 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 714.16B IDENTITY THEFT CIVIL 1 3 CAUSE OF ACTION. 1 4 In addition to any other remedies provided by law, a person 1 5 as defined under section 714.16, subsection 1, suffering a 1 6 pecuniary loss as a result of an identity theft by another 1 7 person under section 715A.8, may bring an action against such 1 8 other person to recover the following: 1 9 1. One thousand dollars or three times the actual damages, 1 10 whichever is greater. 1 11 2. Reasonable attorney fees and court costs. 1 12 Sec. 2. NEW SECTION. 715A.8 IDENTITY THEFT. 1 13 1. For purposes of this section, "identification 1 14 information" means the name, address, date of birth, telephone 1 15 number, driver's license number, nonoperator's identification 1 16 number, social security number, place of employment, employee 1 17 identification number, parent's legal surname prior to 1 18 marriage, demand deposit account number, savings or checking 1 19 account number, or credit card number of a person. 1 20 2. A person commits the offense of identity theft if the 1 21 person knowingly obtains identification information of another 1 22 person and uses or attempts to use that information to obtain 1 23 credit, property, or services without the authorization of 1 24 that other person. 1 25 3. If the value of the credit, property, or services 1 26 exceeds one thousand dollars, the person commits a class "D" 1 27 felony. If the value of the credit, property, or services 1 28 does not exceed one thousand dollars, the person commits an 1 29 aggravated misdemeanor. 1 30 4. A violation of this section is an unlawful practice 1 31 under section 714.16. 1 32 Sec. 3. NEW SECTION. 715A.9 VALUE FOR PURPOSES OF 1 33 IDENTITY THEFT. 1 34 The value of property or services is its highest value by 1 35 any reasonable standard at the time the identity theft is 2 1 committed. Any reasonable standard includes but is not 2 2 limited to market value within the community, actual value, or 2 3 replacement value. 2 4 If credit, property, or services are obtained by two or 2 5 more acts from the same person or location, or from different 2 6 persons by two or more acts which occur in approximately the 2 7 same location or time period so that the identity thefts are 2 8 attributable to a single scheme, plan, or conspiracy, the acts 2 9 may be considered as a single identity theft and the value may 2 10 be the total value of all credit, property, and services 2 11 involved. 2 12 DIVISION II 2 13 Sec. 4. NEW SECTION. 537.9101 DEFINITIONS. 2 14 1. "Consumer report" means any written, oral, or other 2 15 communication of any information by a consumer reporting 2 16 agency bearing on a consumer's creditworthiness, credit 2 17 standing, credit capacity, character, general reputation, 2 18 personal characteristics, or mode of living which is used or 2 19 expected to be used or collected in whole or in part for the 2 20 purpose of any of the following: 2 21 a. To serve as a factor in establishing the consumer's 2 22 eligibility for credit or insurance to be used primarily for 2 23 personal, family, or household purposes. 2 24 b. To serve as a factor in establishing the consumer's 2 25 eligibility for employment. 2 26 c. To be provided to a person who the consumer reporting 2 27 agency has reason to believe has a legitimate need for the 2 28 information, in connection with a business transaction that is 2 29 initiated by the consumer or to review an account to determine 2 30 whether the consumer continues to meet the terms of the 2 31 account. 2 32 2. "Consumer reporting agency" means any person or legal 2 33 entity which engages in the practice of assembling or 2 34 evaluating consumer credit information or other information on 2 35 consumers for the purpose of furnishing consumer reports to 3 1 third parties requesting consumer reports. 3 2 Sec. 5. NEW SECTION. 537.9102 CREDIT ISSUING PRACTICES. 3 3 If a person intends to issue credit to a consumer who 3 4 appears in person on the basis of an application for credit 3 5 submitted in person, a consumer reporting agency contacted by 3 6 the person, in deciding whether to grant the credit 3 7 application shall, with a reasonable degree of certainty, 3 8 match at least three categories of identifying information 3 9 within the file maintained by the consumer reporting agency on 3 10 the consumer with the information provided to the consumer 3 11 reporting agency by the person. The categories of identifying 3 12 information may include, but are not limited to, name, date of 3 13 birth, driver's license number, place of employment, current 3 14 residence address, previous residence address, or social 3 15 security number. The categories of identifying information 3 16 shall not include a parent's surname prior to marriage. 3 17 Sec. 6. NEW SECTION. 537.9103 REPORTING TO A CONSUMER 3 18 REPORTING AGENCY. 3 19 1. If a consumer submits to a consumer reporting agency a 3 20 copy of a valid report to a law enforcement agency pertaining 3 21 to an identity theft, the consumer reporting agency shall 3 22 promptly and permanently block reporting any information that 3 23 the consumer alleges appears on the consumer's consumer report 3 24 as a result of a violation of section 715A.8. The consumer 3 25 reporting agency shall promptly notify the person furnishing 3 26 the information that the information has been blocked. 3 27 2. Persons furnishing information and consumer reporting 3 28 agencies shall ensure that a permanent block on the reporting 3 29 of information is removed only when a preponderance of the 3 30 evidence exists establishing the facts required under 3 31 paragraphs "a" and "b". The permanent block on the reporting 3 32 of information shall be removed if any of the following 3 33 applies: 3 34 a. The information was blocked due to fraud. 3 35 b. The consumer agrees that the blocked information was 4 1 blocked in error. 4 2 3. If a block is removed pursuant to this section, the 4 3 consumer shall be promptly notified in the same manner as 4 4 consumers are notified of the reinsertion of information. 4 5 Sec. 7. NEW SECTION. 537.9104 APPLICABILITY. 4 6 This article applies to a consumer credit transaction as 4 7 defined in section 537.1301, subsection 11, but also includes 4 8 consumer credit sales of goods and services, consumer leases, 4 9 and consumer loans where the amount financed is more than 4 10 twenty-five thousand dollars, notwithstanding section 4 11 537.1301, subsection 12, paragraph "a", subparagraph (5); 4 12 section 537.1301, subsection 13, paragraph "a", subparagraph 4 13 (4); and section 537.1301, subsection 14, paragraph "a", 4 14 subparagraph (5). 4 15 Sec. 8. NEW SECTION. 537.9105 REMEDIES. 4 16 1. A consumer who suffers a pecuniary loss as a result of 4 17 a violation of this article by a person, including, but not 4 18 limited to, a consumer reporting agency, has a cause of action 4 19 against the person for the greater of five hundred dollars or 4 20 actual damages, plus reasonable attorney fees and court costs. 4 21 2. A violation of this article is an unlawful practice 4 22 under section 714.16. 4 23 EXPLANATION 4 24 This bill creates the new crime of identity theft. A 4 25 person must first knowingly obtain identification information 4 26 of another such as a name, birth date, driver's license 4 27 number, or social security number. If the person uses or 4 28 attempts to use that information to obtain credit, goods, or 4 29 services and the value of the credit, goods, or services 4 30 exceeds $1,000, the person commits a class "D" felony. If the 4 31 value of the credit, goods, or services does not exceed 4 32 $1,000, the person commits an aggravated misdemeanor. 4 33 The bill also establishes a civil remedy for the victims of 4 34 an identity theft crime against the perpetrator in addition to 4 35 any criminal sanctions that may be imposed. The victim of an 5 1 identity theft may sue the perpetrator of an identity theft 5 2 for $1,000 or up to three times the amount of actual damages, 5 3 whichever is greater, and for reasonable attorney fees and 5 4 court costs. In addition the bill provides that the 5 5 commission of identity theft constitutes an unlawful practice 5 6 under Code section 714.16, which prohibits and provides 5 7 various civil penalties and remedies for consumer fraud. 5 8 The bill provides that committing identity theft and 5 9 certain disclosures of blocked information by a consumer 5 10 reporting agency are violations of the consumer fraud Act. 5 11 The bill also provides that an entity taking credit 5 12 applications in person must first confirm three personal 5 13 identification categories with a consumer reporting agency 5 14 before a line of credit is established. 5 15 The bill further allows the victim to submit a police 5 16 report pertaining to the identity theft to a consumer 5 17 reporting agency which would then require the agency to stop 5 18 any negative credit information from being released. A 5 19 consumer reporting agency may release negative credit 5 20 information after the police report is filed if the victim 5 21 submitted a fraudulent police report, or the victim agrees the 5 22 negative credit information was not due to identity theft. 5 23 If a victim suffers a loss as a result of a consumer 5 24 reporting agency release of negative credit information in 5 25 violation of this bill, the victim may sue the person 5 26 releasing the information for actual damages plus attorney 5 27 fees and court costs. The person releasing the information 5 28 may also be required to pay civil penalties and reimbursement 5 29 for damages under the consumer fraud provisions in Code 5 30 section 714.16. 5 31 LSB 1081DP 78 5 32 jm/jw/5.2
Text: HSB00036 Text: HSB00038 Text: HSB00000 - HSB00099 Text: HSB Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
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