HARRISBURG – Bipartisan legislation sponsored by Sen. Tracy Pennycuick (R-24) to strengthen notification requirements for data breaches and provide affected citizens with free credit monitoring and a credit report is set to be signed into law. Senate Bill 824, introduced with Sen. Jimmy Dillon (D-5), was approved by the House of Representatives yesterday, following Senate passage last year. It would provide citizens affected by a data breach a free credit report and a year of credit monitoring while they recover. The bill 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. A record 3,122 data breaches occurred nationally in 2023, affecting hundreds of millions of Americans and costing billions of dollars, according to the Identity Theft Resource Center. It marked a 72% increase in data compromises from the previous all-time high in 2021. The bill will be sent to the governor to be signed into law.
717-284-4123
Postmaster@WDAC.com
