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June 26, 2008
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Sen. Pileggi: Effort to Improve Protection of Personal Information Passes Senate

Legislation that would require government agencies to report data breaches involving personal information within one week, sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi (R-9), was approved unanimously by the Senate today.

"Government agencies have a responsibility to protect our personal information," said Senator Pileggi. "When a data breach occurs, agencies should provide notification promptly so that citizens can take action to protect themselves from identity theft."

Attorney General Tom Corbett, who helped draft Senate Bill 1266, said, "This legislation will arm consumers with knowledge to protect themselves from identity theft."

Senator Pileggi introduced Senate Bill 1266 after three thefts of state-owned computers containing personal information were reported in the second half of 2007. The stolen computers contained the personal information of nearly 400,000 individuals.

Senator Pileggi pointed out that the public was not notified of those thefts until two to three weeks after the fact. "That is unacceptable," he said.

An existing law requires that the public be notified of such data breaches "without unreasonable delay." Senate Bill 1266 would specify a one-week notification period for any breaches involving state or local government.

Senator Pileggi's legislation would also require government agencies to report data breaches to the Attorney General within three business days. It would authorize the Attorney General to investigate all breaches to determine the cause, review existing procedures, and make recommendations to prevent future incidents.

Senate Bill 1266 now moves to the state House for consideration.

More information about state issues can be found on Sen. Pileggi's web site, www.senatorpileggi.com.