Grassley co-sponsored The Identity Theft Victims Assistance Act, which was passed by voice vote. The bill has now been sent to the House for consideration.
"Unfortunately, identity theft has become all too common," Grassley said. "These crimes are a terrible invasion of privacy and destroy the credit of hard-working Americans. This bill will help identity theft victims get the records they need to protect their identities and restore their good name."
The Identity Theft Victims Assistance Act would prohibit credit reporting companies from issuing reports on consumers who prove they have been the victims of identity theft. It will also give victims of identity theft two years to file a lawsuit alleging that a credit reporting company improperly released a credit report, thus aggravating the identity takeover. The measure would also standardize the system for reporting identity theft to consumer credit agencies and businesses, thus making it easier for consumers victimized by identity theft to restore their good names.
Grassley sponsored the legislation with Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington. Other co-sponsors are: Sens. Mike Enzi of Wyoming, Charles Schumer of New York and Patrick Leahy of Vermont.
Grassley has long been a leader in Congress in the charge against identity theft. In addition to this bill, he is a co-sponsor of legislation that would make it harder for criminals to steal someone's identity. The Identity Theft Prevention Act would impose additional duties on credit issuers and credit bureaus to ensure the accuracy of information in credit applications. In addition, Grassley is working with others in the Senate to introduce the Identity Theft Penalty Enhancement Act that would increase criminal penalties for perpetrators of identity theft.