§ 5-37-228 - Identity theft passport.
               	 		
5-37-228.    Identity theft passport.
    (a)  The Attorney General in cooperation with any law enforcement agency may issue an identity theft passport to a person who:
      (1)  Is a resident of this state;
      (2)  Learns or reasonably suspects that he or she is a victim of financial identity fraud; and
      (3)  Has filed a police report citing that he or she is a victim of financial identity fraud as prohibited by    5-37-227.
(b)    (1)  A  person who learns or reasonably suspects that he or she is the victim  of financial identity fraud may contact the local law enforcement agency  that has jurisdiction over the city or county where the person resides.
      (2)  The local law enforcement agency:
            (A)  Shall  make a police report of the matter whether or not the local law  enforcement agency has jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute a crime  of financial identity fraud against the victim;
            (B)  Shall provide the victim with a copy of the police report; and
            (C)  May  refer the police report to a law enforcement agency with jurisdiction  to investigate and prosecute a crime of financial identity fraud.
      (3)  Nothing  in this section interferes with the discretion of a local law  enforcement agency to allocate resources for an investigation of a  crime.
      (4)  A police report filed  by a victim of financial identity fraud under this section is not  required to be counted as an open case for purposes such as compiling  open case statistics.
(c)    (1)  After  the victim has filed a police report with any local law enforcement  agency, the victim may apply for an identity theft passport by sending  to the office of the Attorney General:
            (A)  A copy of the police report;
            (B)  An application for an identity theft passport; and
            (C)  Any other supporting documentation requested by the Attorney General.
      (2)  The  Attorney General shall process the application and supporting police  report and may issue the victim of financial identity fraud an identity  theft passport in the form of a card or certificate.
(d)    (1)  A victim of financial identity fraud may present the victim's identity theft passport issued under this section to:
            (A)  A  law enforcement agency to help prevent the victim's arrest or detention  for an offense committed by a person other than the victim, who is  using the victim's identity;
            (B)  Any  creditor of the victim to aid in the creditor's investigation and  establishment of whether a fraudulent charge was made against an account  in the victim's name or whether an account was opened using the  victim's identity; or
            (C)  Any  other entity to aid in the entity's investigation of whether the  victim's identity was fraudulently obtained or used without the victim's  consent.
      (2)    (A)  Acceptance  of the identity theft passport presented by the victim to a law  enforcement agency, creditor, or other entity under subdivision (d)(1)  of this section is at the discretion of the law enforcement agency,  creditor, or other entity.
            (B)  A  law enforcement agency, creditor, or other entity may consider the  identity theft passport as well as surrounding circumstances and  available information concerning the offense of financial identity fraud  against the victim in determining whether to accept the identity theft  passport.
(e)    (1)  An  application for an identity theft passport under subsection (c) of this  section and any supporting documentation are not public records.
      (2)  The  Attorney General may provide access to an application under subsection  (a) of this section and supporting documentation to another criminal  justice or law enforcement agency in this state or another state.