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State Representative Jim Davnie
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-0173
For more information contact: Melissa Parker 651-296-8873
Press/News Releases
REP. DAVNIE PASSES AMENDMENTS AIMED TO PROTECT MINNESOTANS' PERSONAL INFORMATION
State Rep. Jim Davnie
PRESS RELEASE
Minnesota House of Representatives Contact: Melissa Parker
District 62A (651) 296-0173 (651) 296-8873
309 State Office Building, St. Paul, MN 55155 melissa.parker@house.mn
May 17, 2005
REP. DAVNIE PASSES AMENDMENTS TO PROTECT MINNESOTANS' PERSONAL INFORMATION
SAINT PAUL—In an effort to ensure the safe keeping of Minnesotans' personal and financial information, Rep. Jim Davnie has offered, and successfully passed, two amendments this week to address the issue of breaches of security of state agency databases.
His amendment today to the House Omnibus Data Practices bill will require state agencies to notify individuals if the security of their private or confidential data is breached. The amendment passed on a voice vote.
"I am pleased with the broad bipartisan support for protecting the personal and financial information of our citizens and holding state government and its agencies responsible for doing so," said Davnie. "We must be sure that we are meticulous in limiting opportunities for would-be identity thieves; we must also commit to informing citizens promptly in the unfortunate incident that a breach occurs so that they are able to take steps to protect themselves."
Rep. Davnie was also successful in amending the Omnibus Transportation bill last week to require that DVS have a forensic audit performed on their license tab website, which was shut down as a result of an Office of the Legislative Auditor report showing the on-line site was virtually unsecured and unmonitored. It also requires that Minnesotans be contacted if the audit finds their private confidential data may have been put at risk.
"360,000 Minnesotans participating in $30.5 million in transactions entrusted their personal information to Driver and Vehicle Services' on-line motor vehicle registration system last year," said Davnie. "In the light of the lax security, the state must place priority on reassuring citizens that we are doing what we can to provide them with the information they will need to protect themselves from identity theft."
Rep. Davnie has been a leader in holding private business and state government accountable for the protection of consumer and citizen information kept in databases. While his amendments this week both deal directly with state agencies, he has also authored bills in conjunction with Attorney General Mike Hatch and the Minnesota AARP to address security breaches of consumers' personal and financial information held by private databases. Just this year, there have been many high profile examples of large-scale consumer identification theft including incidents at ChoicePoint Inc. and NexisLexis.
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