Passes telemarketing bill; mulls one on insurance ID.
The New York State Senate has passed one bill and is considering another that would toughen the state’s privacy protections. Both were recommended by the Senate Republican Majority Task Force on the Invasion of Privacy.
The bill now under consideration would prohibit insurance companies from using Social Security numbers as auto insurance policy numbers.
The measure (S-6928) was introduced in March by Republican State Sen. Guy Velella. It now goes before the general assembly for consideration.
Velella, who previously chaired the Senate’s Insurance Committee, says his untitled bill amending the state’s insurance laws would keep New York motorists from “becoming a hit-and-run victim on the information superhighway.”
He notes that the insurance cards motorists are required to carry in their vehicles “often pass through the hands of people in auto-body repair shops [and] rental car companies,” among others. It’s easy for someone to obtain that number, get on the Internet and use the number to gain access to an individual’s “credit records, salary history and a whole host of other very personal information,” he adds.
Similar but less restrictive federal measures are now pending in Congress.
Meanwhile, the Senate approved the Telemarketing and Consumer Fraud and Abuse Prevention Act (S-5947B). The bill, sponsored by State Sen. George D. Maziarz, requires telemarketers in the state to be bonded and registered; clearly identify themselves and the purpose of their call; disclose the total cost of the goods or services they are offering; and keep detailed calling and sales records for two years.
The measure would prohibit telemarketers from contacting consumers who have asked to be removed from their telephone lists. Such marketers also would be barred from accessing a person’s checking, savings, bond, trust or other account without written authorization. Telemarketers could, however, use couriers to pick up a customer’s payment for goods or services, but only after the individual had the chance to examine the items.
Along with these two bills, the report by the Senate task force recommends that lawmakers consider additional legislative measures to increase New Yorkers’ privacy protections, such as providing tighter regulation of state government records, and allowing individuals greater control over their medical and financial information.
Network
