HARRISBURG – The PA Senate approved bipartisan legislation to strengthen notification requirements for data breaches. Senate Bill 824 would provide citizens affected by a data breach a free credit report and a year of credit monitoring while they recover. It also strengthens state notification requirements and mandates Attorney General notification if a data breach occurs in the Commonwealth. The measure would cover instances in which an individual’s first and last name or first initial and last name have been accessed in combination with any of the following information: Social Security number, bank account number, driver’s license or state ID number. According to the Identity Theft Resource Center, a record 1,862 data breaches occurred nationally in 2021, affecting hundreds of millions of Americans and costing billions of dollars. It marked a 68% increase from 2020. The bill now moves to the state House for consideration.
