[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 126 (Monday, August 3, 2026)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E769]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                  INTRODUCTION OF THE RECOVER PII ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON

                      of the district of columbia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, August 3, 2026

  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, today, I introduce the Reducing the Effects 
of the Cyberattack on OPM Victims Enduring Response and Protecting 
Identifiable Information Act, or the RECOVER PII Act. This bill would 
require the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to make permanent the 
free identity protection coverage that Congress required OPM to provide 
to individuals whose Social Security numbers were potentially 
compromised during the OPM data breaches. This bill would also allow 
federal agencies to provide privacy-enhancing services to their 
employees and contractors. Senator Mark Warner is sponsoring the 
companion bill.
  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. After OPM 
announced that it would offer identity protection coverage of limited 
duration and value to affected individuals, I introduced a bill to 
provide such individuals lifetime identity protection coverage and at 
least $5 million in identity theft insurance. Congress subsequently 
passed a version of that bill as part of an appropriations bill, but 
limited the duration of the protection. Under current law, OPM is 
required to provide identity protection coverage only through fiscal 
year 2026. Under the bill Senator Warner and I are introducing today, 
OPM would be required to provide lifetime coverage. The current 
coverage duration is inadequate, given that there is no limit to when 
the stolen data might be exploited. Therefore, there should be no limit 
on the duration of the coverage.
  This bill would also authorize federal agencies to provide services 
to federal employees and contractors to mitigate privacy risks arising 
from data processing. These services would help federal employees and 
contractors protect their personal information.
  I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

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