Conroy Sponsored Credit Freeze Fee Elimination Bill Now Law

VILLA PARK, Ill. – In response to the recent Equifax data breach, state Rep. Deb Conroy, D-Villa Park, co-sponsored House Bill 4095, which would prevent credit agencies from charging consumers fees to freeze their credit. The bill was signed into law last week.

“I helped introduce legislation that ensured that consumers who trusted the security of Equifax would not foot the bill for freezing their accounts due to the company’s reckless behavior,” said Conroy. “Equifax’s mistakes put the personal information of millions of Illinoisans at risk. This law is a big step in ensuring that the rights of consumers are put ahead of the profits of large corporations.”

Equifax announced it had suffered a massive data breach of sensitive consumer information from May to July of 2017, impacting as many as 143 million Americans. In Illinois, the breach is believed to have jeopardized the personal and financial information of more than 5.4 million residents. In order to protect oneself from identity theft, customers of Equifax were encouraged by the Attorney General’s office to consider placing a freeze on their credit and sign up for free credit reports. House Bill 4095 now requires that agencies like Equifax provide this service for free.

“The Equifax breach was a huge blow to the confidence of many consumers who trusted their services,” said Conroy. “It was unfair for Equifax to ask that customers pay for the mistakes of a large institution. This bill is a huge win for consumers. Residents who are still concerned about their risks after the data breach should reach out the Attorney General’s office for resources and more information.”