SENATE DOCKET, NO. 794        FILED ON: 1/16/2019

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 115

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Sonia Chang-Diaz

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act relative to identity fraud.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

 

Sonia Chang-Diaz

Second Suffolk

 

James B. Eldridge

Middlesex and Worcester

2/1/2019

Maria Duaime Robinson

6th Middlesex

3/4/2019


SENATE DOCKET, NO. 794        FILED ON: 1/16/2019

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 115

By Ms. Chang-Diaz, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 115) of Sonia Chang-Diaz and James B. Eldridge for legislation relative to identity fraud.  Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure.

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninety-First General Court
(2019-2020)

_______________

 

An Act relative to identity fraud.

 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. Chapter 24A of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2016 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after Section 5 the following section:-

Section 6. Division of privacy protection

There shall be a division of privacy protection within the office of consumer affairs and business regulation. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the director of consumer affairs and business regulation, in consultation with the attorney general, shall create a centralized repository to log complaints of identity fraud, refer processed complaints to local law enforcement officials, and adopt rules and regulations regarding topics which may include, but not be limited to, the intake, investigation and prosecution of identity fraud, consistent with this section and designed to benefit consumers. The director of consumer affairs and business regulation, in consultation with the attorney general, shall collect data from local police departments regarding identity fraud regarding topics which may include, but not be limited to, the intake, investigation and prosecution of identity fraud, consistent with this section and designed to benefit consumers.

SECTION 2. Section 37E of Chapter 266 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting after subsection (f) the following subsection:-

(g) If the crime is reported in a jurisdiction other than where the victim resides, the local law enforcement agency receiving the report shall refer the matter to the law enforcement agency where the victim resides. Upon receipt of the police incident report, the local enforcement agency shall begin an investigation of the facts. The investigation shall remain open until the perpetrator is apprehended.