Unauthorized possession of a correctional employee's personal identifying information and providing a penalty

Under current law, a person who intentionally uses, attempts to use, or possesses with the intent to use another person's personal identifying information or documents to obtain something of value, to avoid civil or criminal process or penalty, or to harm the reputation or property of the person is guilty of a Class H felony and may be fined up to $10,000, imprisoned for up to six years, or both.

Under current law, a person who is the victim of the unauthorized use of his or her personal identifying information or documents may obtain a security freeze on his or her credit reports free of charge, if he or she submits proof to a credit reporting agency that he or she reported the unauthorized use to a law enforcement agency.

This bill prohibits the possession, by a person who is incarcerated in a prison or who resides in a mental health facility, of a correctional employee's personal identifying information or a document relating to the employee's personal identifying information. A person who violates this prohibition is guilty of a Class H felony. Under the bill, a correctional employee who is the victim of an unauthorized possession of his or her personal identifying information or documents may obtain a security freeze on his or her credit reports free of charge, if he or she submits proof to a credit reporting agency that he or she reported the unauthorized possession to a law enforcement agency.

Because this bill creates a new crime or revises a penalty for an existing crime, the Joint Review Committee on Criminal Penalties may be requested to prepare a report concerning the proposed penalty and the costs or savings that are likely to result if the bill is enacted.