Westmoreland Review

On September 26, 2024, a new law was enacted to enhance data breach standards in Pennsylvania. Throughout 2023, over 3,200 data breaches affected more than 300 million Americans. Representative Jill Cooper (R-Westmoreland) expressed concern over these numbers and supported the legislation aimed at better protecting personal information.

The law amends Pennsylvania’s Breach of Personal Information Notification Act (BPINA). It lowers the threshold for mandatory notification from breaches affecting 1,000 Pennsylvanians to those affecting 500 individuals. Companies must now inform both the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General and consumers when a breach occurs.

Attorney General Michelle Henry announced an online portal to streamline this process. Entities experiencing a data breach must provide impacted individuals with 12 months of credit monitoring and access to a credit report.

The Federal Trade Commission advises that if Social Security numbers are exposed, individuals should consider placing a credit freeze or creating a fraud alert with Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. For compromised banking information, immediate contact with banks and credit card companies is recommended to cancel cards and issue new ones.

For more detailed information on responding to data breaches or about BPINA, resources are available online. Representative Cooper encourages constituents to contact her offices in Washington Township/Export or New Kensington for additional assistance.

In other news, poll workers are being sought for the upcoming election on November 5. Positions vary by county and include roles such as judge of elections and inspectors. Training is provided, and workers receive payment for their service.

Additionally, fire companies, emergency medical service providers, and volunteer rescue squads can apply for grants through the Office of the State Fire Commissioner until October 20. These grants can be used for various projects including facilities improvement and equipment acquisition.

For further details on any of these topics or assistance with applications, constituents are encouraged to reach out via provided contact information.