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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to charges by a consumer reporting agency for placing a |
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security freeze on a consumer file. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 20.04, Business & Commerce Code, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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Sec. 20.04. CHARGES FOR CERTAIN DISCLOSURES OR SERVICES. |
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(a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), a consumer reporting |
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agency may impose a reasonable charge on a consumer for the |
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disclosure of information pertaining to the consumer [or for
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placing a security freeze on a consumer file]. The amount of the |
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charge may not exceed $8. On January 1 of each year, a consumer |
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reporting agency may increase the charge for disclosure to a |
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consumer [or for placing a security freeze]. The increase, if any, |
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must be based proportionally on changes to the Consumer Price Index |
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for All Urban Consumers as determined by the United States |
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Department of Labor with fractional changes rounded to the nearest |
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50 cents. |
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(b) A consumer reporting agency may not charge a fee for: |
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(1) a request by a consumer for a copy of the |
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consumer's file: |
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(A) made not later than the 60th day after the |
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date on which adverse action is taken against the consumer; or |
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(B) made on the expiration of a 45-day security |
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alert; |
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(2) notification of the deletion of information that |
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is found to be inaccurate or can no longer be verified sent to a |
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person designated by the consumer, as prescribed by Section 611 of |
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the Fair Credit Reporting Act (15 U.S.C. Section 1681i), as |
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amended; |
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(3) a set of instructions for understanding the |
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information presented on the consumer report; |
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(4) a toll-free telephone number that consumers may |
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call to obtain additional assistance concerning the consumer report |
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or to request a security alert; [or] |
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(5) a request for a security alert made by a consumer; |
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or |
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(6) a request for a security freeze made by a consumer. |
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SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only |
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to a request for a security freeze made by a consumer to a consumer |
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reporting agency on or after the effective date of this Act. A |
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request for a security freeze made before the effective date of this |
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Act is covered by the law in effect on the date the request was made, |
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and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2007. |