Lilly’s Bill to Waive Charge on Freezing Credit Reports Becomes Law

CHICAGO – A measure sponsored by state Rep. Camille Y. Lilly, D-Chicago, that aims to shield consumers from being charged excessive fees for freezing their credit reports is now law in Illinois.

“Last summer, Equifax was breached by a cyberattack, which compromised nearly 145 million Americans’ personal information and data,” Lilly said. “Consumers did not have the necessary protections in place at the time to prevent identify theft without having to pay to freeze their credit files. This new law outlaws companies like Equifax from charging fees when a consumer chooses to freeze their reports at any time.”

Last year, Lilly backed House Bill 4095, which streamlines individuals’ ability to freeze their credit over the phone or electronically. It was discovered that Equifax, one of the nation’s largest credit unions that collects and stores data on more than 800 million people and 88 million businesses worldwide, was impacted by a massive cybersecurity breach last summer. Millions of Illinoisans’ personal information was compromised, and this new law is designed to protect consumers by eliminating costs and burdensome obstacles when they want to protect themselves from future cybercrimes. The measure was signed into law last week.

“It’s unfair to ask consumers to pay to defend themselves, when mistakes happen through no fault of their own,” said Lilly. “Laws like these prioritize the needs and well-being of people and their families, which is something we need to be doing more often.”

Lilly represents Chicago’s West Side, Oak Park, River Grove, Elmwood Park, Franklin Park and Melrose Park. Join her weekly newsletter to stay up to date with events and news from the 78th District.