AARP in Your State

Kansas Bulletin State News

March 2008

Freeze for all – AARP is asking state lawmakers to pass legislation giving all Kansans the right to safeguard their personal financial information from identity theft. Under current Kansas law, only victims of identity theft have the right to freeze their credit reports, which keeps credit-reporting agencies from releasing the information to merchants, banks or other creditors without the consumer’s consent. Since November 2007 the nation’s three credit-reporting agencies have allowed all consumers to control access to their credit reports, although the cost and manner of doing so varies by state. “This right should be guaranteed by state law, not up to the whim of these agencies,” says Maren Turner, AARP state director. AARP Kansas wants the service of freezing credit reports to remain free for victims and to be extended to other residents for reasonable fees. For more information, visit www.aarp.org/ks or call 1-866-448-3619 toll free. To urge legislators to support the measure, call 1-800-432-3924.