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[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4916 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>

118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 4916

  To amend the Fair Credit Reporting Act to address the placement of 
   security freezes for protected consumers, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 31, 2024

Ms. Hassan (for herself and Mr. Cornyn) introduced the following bill; 
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, 
                           and Urban Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
  To amend the Fair Credit Reporting Act to address the placement of 
   security freezes for protected consumers, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Credit Freeze for Newborns Act''.

SEC. 2. SECURITY FREEZES FOR PROTECTED CONSUMERS.

    (a) In General.--Section 605A(j)(2)(A) of the Fair Credit Reporting 
Act (15 U.S.C. 1681c-1(j)(2)(A)) is amended to read as follows:
                    ``(A) In general.--Upon receiving a direct request 
                from a protected consumer's representative that a 
                consumer reporting agency place a security freeze, and 
                upon receiving sufficient proof of identification and 
                sufficient proof of authority, the following shall 
                apply:
                            ``(i) The consumer reporting agency shall, 
                        free of charge--
                                    ``(I) place the security freeze not 
                                later than--
                                            ``(aa) in the case of a 
                                        request that is by toll-free 
                                        telephone or secure electronic 
                                        means, 1 business day after 
                                        receiving the request directly 
                                        from the protected consumer's 
                                        representative; or
                                            ``(bb) in the case of a 
                                        request that is by mail, 3 
                                        business days after receiving 
                                        the request directly from the 
                                        protected consumer's 
                                        representative; and
                                    ``(II) not later than 3 business 
                                days after receiving the request 
                                directly from the protected consumer's 
                                representative, notify each other 
                                consumer reporting agency regarding the 
                                request.
                            ``(ii) Upon being notified under subclause 
                        (II) of clause (i) regarding the request, the 
                        consumer reporting agency receiving the 
                        notification shall place the requested freeze 
                        in accordance with the requirements under items 
                        (aa) and (bb) of subclause (I) of that 
                        clause.''.
    (b) Requiring the Social Security Administration To Include 
Information on Placing a Security Freeze for a Protected Consumer Under 
16 Years of Age With Issuance of Social Security Number or Replacement 
Social Security Card.--
            (1) In general.--Section 205(c)(2) of the Social Security 
        Act (42 U.S.C. 405(c)(2)) is amended by adding at the end the 
        following new subparagraph:
    ``(I)(i) In this subparagraph, the terms `protected consumer', 
`protected consumer's representative', and `security freeze' have the 
meanings given those terms in section 605A(j) of the Fair Credit 
Reporting Act (15 U.S.C. 1681c-1(j)).
    ``(ii) Whenever the Commissioner of Social Security issues a social 
security account number or a replacement social security card to a 
protected consumer who is under 16 years of age, the Commissioner shall 
include, with the social security card and any other information 
provided to the individual at the time such social security account 
number or replacement card is issued, information on how the protected 
consumer's representative may submit a request for a security freeze on 
behalf of the protected consumer under section 605A(j) of the Fair 
Credit Reporting Act (15 U.S.C. 1681c-1(j)).''.
            (2) Effective date.--The amendment made by this subsection 
        shall take effect on the date that is 12 months after the date 
        of enactment of this Act.
                                 <all>
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