CALVIN HILL PRAISES HOUSE PASSAGE
OF CREDIT FREEZE BILL

ATLANTA—Georgia State Representative Calvin Hill (R-Canton) today praised the House passage of a new bill allowing Georgians to freeze their credit reports. 

“In this age of identify theft, we have a responsibility to provide our constituents with the tools necessary to protect themselves from criminals stealing their personal information and using it to live lavish lifestyles at other’s expense,” Hill said.  “This legislation will allow Georgian’s to ‘freeze’ their credit report thereby preventing criminals from impersonating them and opening up credit cards, lines of credit and making outrageous purchases.  Now that this measure has passed the House, I hope that the Senate will act expeditiously and that the Governor will sign this bill for all Georgians.”

House Bill 130 will enable consumers to make a request to the credit reporting agencies to place a “freeze” on their credit report.  This freeze will prevent the reporting agencies from releasing a consumers’ credit report or credit score without the consumers’ prior authorization.  Consumers can also lift the credit freeze at such time as they wish to make a major purchase such as a home or a car.  Consumers may be charged a fee not to exceed $3 in order to place a freeze on their credit report, and each time they temporarily or permanently release the freeze. 

The House adopted the measure by a vote of 167-2 and it now moves to the Senate for consideration.

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