Belleville Assemblyman Co-Sponsors Consumer Protection Bill

Several members of the New Jersey State Assembly, including Ralph Caputo (D-Belleville) have been building a bill to protect consumers from data security breaches.

Right now, businesses are only required to report breaches concerning Social Security numbers, addresses, driver’s license number, credit card number, and any passwords or security codes, according to NJ101.5.

The new bill would require them to disclose any breaches that released user names, email addresses, or security questions.

“Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in the country,” said Troy Singleton (D-Burlington), who is co-sponsoring the bill. “What we have learned from the recent security breaches at major retailers is that they can happen to anywhere and to virtually any company, large or small. It is essential for consumers to be kept informed of data breaches so that they can take the necessary steps to protect their information.”

The Assembly Consumer Affairs Committee approved the measure yesterday.

Photo from AssemblyDems.com.