With identity-theft cases on the rise in Colorado and across the nation, state lawmakers are taking a closer look at new measures to protect residents.

Four bills being reviewed in the state House and Senate are intended to prevent identity theft and ease the burden on victims, The Fort Collins Coloradoan reported.

HB1134, sponsored by Rep. Carl Miller, D-Leadville, would create the crime of identity theft as a Class 6 felony, punishable by 12 to 18 months in prison.

The bill defines identity theft as “obtaining the identity information of another person for any unlawful purpose.”

It would create a process for victims to establish their innocence in crimes committed by the person who stole their identity. It would allow a court to order public information, such as records and criminal databases, be updated to reflect that data is inaccurate because the person's identity was stolen.

It could also be used to correct a person’s credit report – one of the most commonly affected and detrimental aspects of identity theft, The Coloradoan reported.

A similar bill – HB1122 – also would make identity theft a crime and help victims put their credit back together. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Bill Crane, R-Arvada, would make the crime a Class 4 felony carrying a punishment of two to six years in prison.

Both bills have been forwarded to the House Appropriations Committee.

A third bill, which passed the House and is awaiting Senate consideration, would tighten the requirements for banks that offer credit or debit accounts by mail.

HB1274, sponsored by Rep. Rosemary Marshall, D-Denver, would require banks to verify the applicant is the person they offered the account to if an application contains an address different from the address to which they mailed an offer.

A bill that seeks to keep Social Security numbers private passed the House March 8 and has been forwarded to the Senate.

HB1311, sponsored by Rep. Jerry Frangas, D-Denver, would prohibit a public entity from issuing a license, permit, pass or certificate that contains the holder’s Social Security number unless it is needed for legitimate reasons.

“I think we need to protect people’s privacy,” Frangas told the newspaper.

The new legislation should help Colorado with its growing problem of identity theft, he said.

“I think we’ll go from one of the worst states in the country to one of the best.”