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December 21, 2010
For More Information, Contact:
Phil Yost (650) 688-6384
Melissa Figueroa (916) 651-4011
SACRAMENTO – The Consumer Federation of California (CFC), a statewide consumer rights organization, has recognized State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) for his 2010 voting record with a 100% score on its annual legislative scorecard.
“Senator Simitian has been a steadfast advocate for California consumers,” said Richard Holober, Executive Director of the CFC. “Both through the legislation he has authored, and other bills he has supported, he has consistently fought for consumer rights.”
In addition to his 100% score for 2010, Simitian was one of just four senators who were described by the CFC as “standout legislators that deserve special recognition as consumer champions,” based on their perfect or near perfect scores over the past half-dozen years.
“I’m grateful for this recognition from an organization that champions consumer rights,” said Simitian. “While we have made progress in protecting consumers over the last few years, work remains to be done. I will continue to put forward legislation to safeguard consumers.”
Two of Simitian’s bills were among the nine Senate bills and four Assembly bills used by the CFC to rate legislators. Both were privacy protection measures.
Senate Bill 1268, signed into law, prohibits transportation agencies from sharing the personal information collected as part of FasTrak and other automated toll payment systems.
Senate Bill 1166 specified the information that potential victims of a database security breach must receive to learn how to protect themselves against identity theft. The bill passed the Legislature but was vetoed by Governor Schwarzenegger. The existing law, also authored by Simitian, helps Californians prevent identity theft by requiring businesses and agencies to notify consumers when personal information is lost or stolen.
“I’m not giving up on better information for potential victims of database breaches,” Simitian said. “The bill is a common-sense improvement to a law that served as a national model. I’ll be reintroducing it this coming year.”
To learn more about Simitian’s consumer legislation, visit http://www.senatorsimitian.com/legislation. The CFC scorecard is at: http://consumercal.live.radicaldesigns.org/downloads/2010%20Scorecard.pdf