2006 Legislative Accomplishments
HB 1583 - Preventing Identity Theft
I introduced this bill in order to prevent identity theft for incapacitated individuals who need guardians or conservators. The courts issue petitions for those needing documentation of incapacity so that some one appointed by the courts to take care of their affairs. These petitions contain substantial amounts of personal information and the petitions are open to public view. There is a good reason for providing such open information in order to make sure that the information is correct, that it pertains to the right persons, and that can be challenged by people who have an interest an individual's case, such that people may challenge a petition for a guardian or conservator (a conservator handles the finances). The problem with the court-ordered petitions is that a person's SSN is open to public view. Unscrupulous people have been able to use an incapacitated person's SSN to go on a shopping spree ruining a person's credit. My bill required that the SSNs be sealed so that no one can access the SSN in a petition, thus preventing identity theft.
Reducing Arguments about Towing Services
A General Assembly commission concerning towing practices included legislation that I introduced requiring that all towing companies must post a sign at the point where a towed vehicle is stored, displaying in sufficiently large type the maximum fees for towing services, and the phone number of the local consumer affairs office or its equivalent. The purpose of such signage is designed to reduce arguments about the fees for various services and to provide a means to register a complaint about towing activities.
HB 1163 - Shutting Down the Trafficking in Bogus Drivers Licenses
Many immigrants and others are desperate to secure documents that allow them to drive. Unfortunately, con artists have been selling fake "international drivers' licenses" to unwary people. The price of a false license can cost $300 or more. Those who buy these fake licenses, based on promises that the drivers' licenses are legal, lose several hundred dollars for a license that they can't use. If stopped for a traffic violation the individuals who have bought these fake licenses get arrested for driving without a valid license. My bill makes it a crime to sell such fake licenses, establishing a Class 1 misdemeanor that can result in a year in jail and a fine of up to $2500.
HB 1161 - Telecommunications Connectivity
Adds telecommunications connectivity (i.e., broadband Internet access, additional telephone lines, and online collaborative tools) to the list of specific budget items that the heads of state agencies must include in their report to the Secretary of Administration on telecommuting and participation in alternative work schedules by state employees.