FTC extends enforcement deadline for red flags identity theft rule

At the request of several members of Congress, the Federal Trade Commission has delayed enforcement of the "Red Flags" identity theft rule from June 1 through December 31, 2010.  The rule requires certain "creditors" to develop and implement written identity theft prevention programs to help identify, detect and respond to patterns or activities (red flags) that could indicate identity theft.

The rule became effective on Jan. 1, 2008, with full compliance for all covered entities originally required by Nov. 1, 2008, but the FTC has delayed enforcement several times to allow Congress time to pass legislation that would limit the scope of business covered by the rule.

"Congress needs to fix the unintended consequences of the legislation establishing the red flags rule - and to fix this problem quickly.  We appreciate the efforts of Congressman Barney Frank and John Adler for getting a clarifying measure passed in the House, and hope action in the Senate will be swift," FTC Chairman John Leibowitz said.  "As an agency we're charged with enforcing the law, and endless extensions delay enforcement."

The commissioner urged Congress to act quickly to pass legislation that will resolve any questions as to which entities are covered by the rule and obviate the need for further enforcement delays.

In the interim, FTC staff has provided guidance about the rule on its website and created a template that enables low risk entities to create and identity theft program with an easy-to-use online form.


Source:  APPA Public Power Daily

Trying to Find a Legal Opinion . . . . Google it!

While I was looking through the latest edition of Information Management I ran across a small sidebar box at the bottom of the page that introduces a new tool for keeping up-to-date on all those legal opinions that effect your jobs as records and information professionals.  It's called Google Scholar and you can find it here:  http://www.scholar.google.com. This has the potential to be a valuable tool with Zubulake being revisited and Supreme Court taking up employee privacy rights in the work place (Ontario v. Quon). 

If you have the opportunity to check out Scholar, I'd love to hear your feedback.

Have a great weekend!
Jenny

Spring Meeting Agenda and Details

Good morning all,

Our meeting is just a week and a half away.  We have a great lineup of speaker presentations with plenty of time for our usual roundtable discussion, so bring a list of your burning questions and topics to share that are of most interest to you.Our co-chairs have done an outstanding job setting this agenda.

Jessee Wilkins, Access Sciences, will walk us through developing a records management program from the ground up. Julie Woods and Scott Sackett, Washington State Archives, will brief us on the 2009-2011 grant cycle and give us an update on the Local Government Common Records Retention (CORE) project.  Ken Jenkins, BMS Cat, will discuss disaster recovery issues that include document restoration, working with damaged film, audio and other media, biological pollutants, etc.

Roundtable topics will include the utility specific series of the Local Government General Records Retention Schedule (LGGRRS), social networking in local governments, and time for you to share what's happening with your records program.

Dinner reservations have been made at Bin 20, Red Lion Pasco for 6:00 pm, the evening of May 20.  I hope you will join us.

See you in the Tri-Cities!
Jenny Keesey
Director of Member Services & Administration

A Message from Tara Ramos, Co-Chair

Have you ever wondered how you came to be a records and information management professional, or at least how you became associated with the responsibility?  If your answer is, "Well it just fell in my lap."  Then you, my friend, are not alone.  Most of us in the field of records and information management did not choose this field - rather it chose us.  In the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson, "We are all inventors, each sailing out on a voyage of discovery, guided by a private chart, of which there is no duplicate; the world is all gates, all opportunities."

Imagine a RIM world guided by you, the Records Management Inventor, setting sail on the S.S. RIM Warrior on a voyage of (e)discovery guided by RIM greatness.  A world by which there are no duplicates, and all electronic and paper gates are managed by the opportunistic RIM programs for which we all live and breathe by.

Now, I know you are thinking that I am crazy; the "perfect world" scenario I mention above is not a possible feat.  I'm here to tell you you're wrong.  The Records Management Group of the Washington Public Utility Districts Association is proud to introduce the WPUDA "RIM Energy" blog.  Our mission is to provide a peer network that includes education, training opportunities, RIM insight, and a collaborative discussion space.  We also encourage personal and professional growth from all of our members.  Setting goals, networking with your peers, communicating the importance of records and information management will lead to greatness.  The more you talk the more people will listen.  It may come slowly, but alas, it will come.  I look forward to sharing with and learning from each and every one of you.

All the best,

Tara