[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 73 (Tuesday, May 3, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E452]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    INTRODUCTION OF THE RECOVER ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON

                      of the district of columbia

                    in the house of representatives

                          Tuesday, May 3, 2022

  Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, I rise to introduce the Reducing the 
Effects of the Cyberattack on OPM Victims Emergency Response Act of 
2022, or the RECOVER Act, which would require the Office of Personnel 
Management (OPM) to make permanent the free identity protection 
coverage that Congress required OPM to provide for 10 years to 
individuals whose Social Security Numbers were potentially compromised 
during the OPM data breaches. In 2015, OPM reported that the personally 
identifiable information of as many as 25.7 million current, former and 
prospective federal employees and contractors was stolen in two data 
breaches. I appreciate that Representative C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger is 
co-leading on this bill.
  After OPM announced that it would offer identity protection coverage 
of limited duration and value, Senator Ben Cardin and I introduced the 
RECOVER Act in July 2015, which would have provided affected 
individuals lifetime protection and at least $5 million in identity 
theft insurance. Congress subsequently passed a version of our bill as 
part of an appropriations bill, but limited the duration of the 
protection. Under current law, OPM is only required to provide identity 
protection coverage through fiscal year 2026. Under the bill I am 
introducing today, OPM would be required to provide coverage for the 
remainder of the lives of affected individuals.
  The current coverage is inadequate, particularly considering that 
there is no limit to when the stolen data may be exploited. Therefore, 
there should be no limit on the duration of the coverage provided to 
affected individuals. This bill would give current, former and 
prospective federal employees and contractors who were affected both 
some peace of mind and protection. OPM failed to protect these people. 
It follows that the government must make up for its mistake.
  I urge my colleagues to support this important bill.

                          ____________________