TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – The House Regulatory Affairs Committee today unanimously passed the Keeping I.D. Safe (K.I.D.S.) Act, a priority of Commissioner of Agriculture Adam Putnam to keep Florida’s children safe from identity theft.
More than 50,000 children in Florida become victims of identity theft every year and more than $100,000 million is stolen every year from children whose identities have been compromised. The K.I.D.S. Act requires consumer reporting agencies to establish and freeze a credit record for a minor upon request by the parent or guardian. By enabling parents to freeze their children’s credit record, they can effectively block others from using it.
Adam Putnam
“This state will become only the second in the country to offer protection to our children from the growing threat of identity theft,” said Commissioner Putnam. “The K.I.D.S. Act will give parents a first line of defense to keep their kids’ identities safe. I would like to thank Rep. Heather Fitzenhagen for her leadership and the House Regulatory Affairs Committee for passing this important bill.”
The K.I.D.S. Act is sponsored by Sen. Nancy Detert (S.B. 242) in the Senate and Rep. Fitzenhagen (H.B. 151) in the House. Several consumer groups attended today’s committee in support of the bill, including the Junior League of Florida, the Junior League of Tallahassee, the Florida Police Chiefs Association, the Florida Bankers Association, the Consumer Data Industry Association, Associated Industries of Florida, the Florida Guardian ad Litem Program and local credit unions.
The legislation has been approved by House and Senate committees and is now waiting to be heard on the House and Senate floors.
For more information about the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, visit FreshFromFlorida.com
