Teilhet pushes ID theft measure
(Marietta Daily Journal)
By Michael French
Marietta Daily Journal Staff Writer

MARIETTA - Cobb lawmakers are pushing a bill to protect consumers from identity theft by allowing people to freeze their credit reports before damaging credit activity is reported. State Rep. Rob Teilhet (D-Smyrna) is the primary sponsor of House Bill 38, which would allow consumers to freeze their credit reports if there is any suspicion of identity theft. "It's a good, tough credit freeze bill," he said. "(Freezing a credit report) is the only protection a consumer has against identity theft before it happens." Teilhet's bill was dropped alongside two other bills in the state House, but there's a marked difference between his and the others. "Mine is the only one that doesn't include consumer fees," he said. House Bill 35, dropped by state Rep. Tommy Benton (R-Jefferson) allows credit report agencies to charge a $5 fee for a credit report freeze. Teilhet said with three national credit-reporting agencies - Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion - that makes the total fee for a full freeze $15. State Rep. Calvin Hill (R-Canton) put a $10 fee in his House Bill 130, making the total fees $30 for the consumer for a freeze. "For a company to charge you money not to release your information seems wrong to me," Teilhet said. Cobb delegation vice chairman and state Sen. Judson Hill (R-east Cobb) thought along the same lines. "A fee is not consumer friendly unless they found the consumer was making an unjustified claim," he said, adding he would like to see credit reporting agencies do everything to help a consumer avoid identity theft. He said identity theft is easier than ever before in the digital age and consumers should have the chance to correct a problem before it begins. Hill said he would examine the bills as they reach the Senate and make a final determination on which he'll support. State Rep. Steve "Thunder" Tumlin (R-Marietta) said he likes all three of the bills and is confident one of them would pass this session. "It looks to me like we're definitely going to have one this year," he said. Tumlin said he isn't opposed to nominal fees when asking for a credit-report freeze, citing the need by companies for reimbursement of administrative costs. Tumlin also has cosponsored House Bill 283, dropped by state Rep. Mark Hatfield (R-Waycross), that would allow government officials to require written requests for copies of public documents. "The reason I sponsored it is I just see it as making things orderly," he said. "It wasn't meant to be an obstacle. You would have a written trail of what's happening. I believe in First Amendment rights."

mfrench@mdjonline.com