Veterans and Military Privacy Protection Act of 2006
Latest action (8 Jun 2006): Introduced
What this bill does
S. 3486, the Veterans and Military Privacy Protection Act of 2006, was introduced in response to a May 3, 2006 security breach at the Department of Veterans Affairs that exposed personal data. The bill would direct the Federal Trade Commission, working with the VA, to set up a toll-free counseling program for affected veterans, spouses, and others, helping them obtain extended fraud alerts or credit "security freezes." It would amend the Fair Credit Reporting Act to require automatic extended fraud alerts and to create a new type of security freeze specifically for veterans and others affected by the breach, generally free of charge, with costs reimbursed by the VA. It would also double federal criminal penalties for identity theft committed using information obtained from the breach, and require Government Accountability Office studies on the VA's data protection practices, its handling of the breach, the FTC program's effectiveness, and federal agencies' compliance with data-confidentiality rules.
The bill would primarily affect veterans, their spouses or former spouses, and others whose personal information may have been compromised, as well as consumer reporting agencies, the FTC, and the VA, which would bear associated costs.
The bill was introduced in the Senate on June 8, 2006, by Senator John "Jay" Rockefeller with several cosponsors, and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. According to the official record, it did not receive a vote and saw no further action before the end of the 109th Congress, meaning it did not become law.
Plain-English summary generated by Bill100 AI from the official record. Always verify against the source below.
Official summary
Veterans and Military Privacy Protection Act of 2006 - Directs the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to develop and implement a program of financial counseling and support to any veteran, spouse of a veteran, and other person who may be a victim of identity theft as a result of the security breach at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) on May 3, 2006.
Amends the Fair Credit Reporting Act to direct each consumer reporting agency (CRA), upon the request of such a veteran, spouse, or other person, to provide automatic extended fraud alerts to such individuals. Authorizes the placement in the files of such an individual of a security freeze by a CRA, after which the CRA may not release information from their file for consumer credit purposes to a third party without prior express written authorization from the individual. Requires notification to such individual by a CRA before the removal of a security freeze. Provides security freeze exceptions.
Amends the federal criminal code to double the penalties for identity theft when the victim is one of the above individuals.
Requires Comptroller General studies on: (1) VA data protection; (2) VA security breach investigation; (3) an FTC program for veterans and others at risk of identity theft; and (4) federal agency compliance with personal data protection requirements.
Common questions
- What does S. 3486 do?
- S. 3486, the Veterans and Military Privacy Protection Act of 2006, was introduced in response to a May 3, 2006 security breach at the Department of Veterans Affairs that exposed personal data. The bill would direct the Federal Trade Commission, working with the VA, to set up a toll-free counseling program for affected veterans, spouses, and others, helping them obtain extended fraud alerts or credit "security freezes." It would amend the Fair Credit Reporting Act to require automatic extended fraud alerts and to create a new type of security freeze specifically for veterans and others affected by the breach, generally free of charge, with costs reimbursed by the VA. It would also double federal criminal penalties for identity theft committed using information obtained from the breach, and require Government Accountability Office studies on the VA's data protection practices, its handling of the breach, the FTC program's effectiveness, and federal agencies' compliance with data-confidentiality rules. The bill would primarily affect veterans, their spouses or former spouses, and others whose personal information may have been compromised, as well as consumer reporting agencies, the FTC, and the VA, which would bear associated costs. The bill was introduced in the Senate on June 8, 2006, by Senator John "Jay" Rockefeller with several cosponsors, and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. According to the official record, it did not receive a vote and saw no further action before the end of the 109th Congress, meaning it did not become law.
- Has S. 3486 become law?
- Not yet. As of 8 Jun 2006, S. 3486 is introduced.
- Who sponsored S. 3486?
- S. 3486 was sponsored by Sen. John “Jay” Rockefeller [D-WV, 1985-2014] (Democrat-WV), with 7 cosponsors.
- What's the latest action on S. 3486?
- Introduced (8 Jun 2006).
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