Child Identity Theft Bill Advances — The House has approved a bill aimed at combating the growing crime of child identity theft, reports State Rep. Jim Cox (R-129)
House Bill 714 would include children within a protected class of victims for which the offense of identity theft receives an enhanced grading.
Often, a child doesn’t know his or her identity has been stolen until many years after the fact, when he or she first applies for college assistance or a credit card. This can lead to financial headaches and delayed enrollment in college until the situation can be resolved. The Federal Trade Commission has recognized identity theft committed against children as a growing problem. One study that found an estimated 142,000 instances of identity theft are perpetrated against children in the United States each year.
The bill now moves to the Senate for consideration.