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Washington, D.C. – Furious that more than 26 million American veterans have had their personal information compromised through the loss of a VA computer, Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), the senior Democrat on the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, has introduced The Veterans’ Privacy Protection Act. The bill would provide veterans financial counseling with the government’s top financial security experts to guard against the possible misuse and exploitation of their personal information.

As has been widely reported this week, earlier this month, a Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA) employee had a computer stolen from his home containing names, birthdates, and Social Security numbers for veterans who have used the VA system. It took weeks for VA to reveal publicly the loss of the computer and the personal information.

“In this incident, VA has failed our nation’s veterans,” said Rockefeller. “It is inconceivable to me how any federal agency could have such lax policies that allow this sort of incident to occur.

“Now that the damage is done, VA is not moving fast enough to provide veterans with the protection they need. We must provide them with professional counseling, information, and help so that they won’t become victims of identity theft.

“We also need a thorough investigation by an independent third-party to determine how this happened, so that we can make sure we never have such a disaster again.”

Rockefeller’s bill would require the Federal Trade Commission – the experts on personal data security -- to develop a toll-free hotline explicitly for veterans to provide the information, counseling, and help necessary to allow a veteran to protect himself or herself from the loss of personal data. Veterans would also be able to request a long-term credit alert for their records so credit agencies are aware that their personal information may be used by others. Under the Rockefeller bill, VA would cover the costs of any such security freeze.

The Veterans’ Privacy Protection Act would also require the General Accountability Office (GAO) to evaluate the VA’s response to this incident and analyze the agency’s security protocols.

Rockefeller is warning veterans to be alert to potential scams. VA has warned veterans about the possibility of fraudulent phone calls from people who, claiming to work for the VA, are seeking personal information from veterans. No personal information should be given out until the legitimacy of the request and source has been independently verified.

For those West Virginia veterans who believe that they may have had their identity compromised, Rockefeller urges them to call 1-800-FED-INFO or log on to www.firstgov.gov to determine what steps they can take to protect themselves. Rockefeller also urged veterans and families to contact any of his state offices in Charleston, Fairmont, Beckley, and Martinsburg if they have additional questions.

Rockefeller’s bill, S. 3176, is now before the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee.

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