The epidemic of stolen privacy-sensitive information, largely starting with the fraud committed against ChoicePoint that came to light this February, has spurred states to adopt disclosure measures similar to the California law that has existed since July 2003. The California law was the first of its kind in requiring companies to notify consumers if privacy-sensitive information has been lost or stolen. Many privacy advocates heralded the California law as the only reason that ChoicePoint’s fraud issues entered the public spotlight. To date, five states - Arkansas, Georgia, Montana, North Dakota, and Washington - have already passed similar laws, while two other states - Florida and Illinois - are simply awaiting the governor’s signature.

A recent article that covers this recent legislative push by states can be found here.