The Senate will now consider bipartisan legislation co-sponsored by Congressman Mike Bishop designed to assist identity theft victims.

The House of Representatives on Tuesday unanimously passed The Improving Social Security’s Service to Victims of Identity Theft Act (H.R. 6084), requiring the Social Security Administration to provide a single point of contact for individuals requesting a new Social Security Number due to identity theft, as well as for anyone who needs help resolving identity theft issues related to their Social Security benefits. Bishop, a Rochester Hills Republican, introduced the bill in June along with Connecticut Democrat John Larson. Bishop said that all too often Americans who are victims of identity theft, “find themselves being transferred around a phone tree from person to person, requiring them to start back at square one each time they contact the agency.”

If enacted, the Social Security Administration’s single point of contact would be required to track each individual’s case to completion and coordinate with other specialized units to resolve case issues as quickly as possible. That's according to the summary in the congressional record.

The bill was also supported by the Association of Mature American Citizens, AARP, and the National Council of Social Security Management Associations. The bill now heads to the U.S. Senate for deliberation. (JK)