ID Theft Bill Passes Senate, Awaits House Action
Legislation intended to combat identity theft won Senate passage Wednesday night after being folded into a House-passed bill to extend secret service protection to former vice presidents. The cybersecurity legislation, introduced last October by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy and ranking member Arlen Specter, passed their chamber in November as a standalone bill but has languished in the House.
Leahy said he hoped the House would act fast to pass the legislation and send it to President Bush for signature. Leahy's proposal has the backing of the Justice Department and Secret Service and has broad support from industry and consumer groups. If enacted it would give victims of ID theft the right to seek restitution for the loss of time and money spent restoring credit and would ensure that criminals who impersonate legitimate businesses to steal sensitive personal data can be prosecuted under federal ID theft laws.
The bill would also lower the financial threshold for prosecuting cyber criminals and eliminate would make it a felony to employ malicious software to damage 10 or more computers regardless of the aggregate amount of damage caused. Business Software Alliance President Robert Holleyman lauded the Senate's action, noting that "for too long, cyber criminals around the world have taken advantage of legal loopholes and an under-resourced law enforcement community to rob consumers of their identities and their financial security."
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