HOUSE PASSES JACKSON LEE AMENDMENT THAT HELPS THE PARENTS OF DECEASED CHILDREN WHOSE IDENTITIES HAVE BEEN STOLEN
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Rucks Russell
September 14, 2017 202-225-3816
House Passes Jackson Lee Amendment That Helps the Parents of Deceased Children Whose Identities Have Been Stolen
Jackson Lee: "Identity thieves have sunk to disturbing levels of cruelty and heartlessness by praying on deceased children and compounding the anguish of their grieving parents."
Washington, DC – Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, a senior member of the House Committees on Judiciary and Homeland Security and Ranking Member of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security and Investigations, released the following statement about the passage of the Jackson Lee Amendment, which helps the parents of deceased children whose identities have been stolen:
"Nearly all of us understand the importance of safeguarding our Social Security numbers, but after someone dies Social Security numbers are published on a national online registry called the Master Death List. As a result, experts say the identities of close to 500 thousand deceased persons are stolen in America every year.
"Alarmingly, many of the victims are deceased children, worsening the pain of parents who are already confronting an unbearable loss. That is why I offered an amendment to H.R. 3354, the "Make America Secure and Prosperous Act FY2018.
"My amendment increases identify theft casework funding allocated to the Taxpayer Advocate Service Program by $500,000. This will help to ensure the IRS has adequate resources to assist parents of a deceased child whose Social Security Number was stolen by tax cheats and used on a federal tax return to receive an Earned Income Tax Credit.
"The need for the Jackson Lee Amendment is illustrated by the story of Alexis Agin who was just 4 years old when she died of a brain tumor in 2011. As her parents grieved, someone stole Alexis' identity to commit tax fraud. Alexis' parents did not discover the crime until they filed their taxes.
"The sad fact is Alexis' parents are not alone—they were one of at least 14 other parents whose children died of cancer and learned that their child's Social Security number had been stolen by tax thieves. The perpetrators typically claim that a dead person is their dependent when they file tax returns.
"I am pleased the Jackson Lee Amendment won overwhelming bipartisan support in the House, passing by a vote of 265 to 143. I applaud my colleagues for adopting this vital piece of legislation, which will help to alleviate the pain and suffering of parents forced to cope with the unimaginable loss of a child."
###
Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee is a Democrat from Texas's 18th Congressional District. She is a senior member of the House Committees on Judiciary and Homeland Security and is a Ranking Member of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security and Investigations.