2019 West Virginia Code
Chapter 46A. West Virginia Consumer Credit and Protection Act
Article 6L. Theft of Consumer Identity Protections
§46A-6L-101. Definitions
For the purposes of this article, the following terms have the following meanings:
(1) “Person” means any individual, partnership, corporation, trust, estate, cooperative, association, government or governmental subdivision or agency or other entity.
(2) “Consumer” means an individual.
(3) “Consumer-reporting agency” means any entity which, for monetary fees, dues or on a cooperative nonprofit basis, regularly engages, in whole or in part, in the practice of assembling or evaluating consumer credit information or other information on consumers for the purpose of furnishing credit reports to third parties.
(4) “Credit report” means any written, oral or other communication of any information by a consumer-reporting agency bearing on a consumer's credit worthiness, credit standing, credit capacity, character, general reputation, personal characteristics or mode of living which is used or expected to be used or collected, in whole or in part, for the purpose of serving as a factor in establishing the consumer's eligibility for:
(A) Credit or insurance to be used primarily for a personal, family, household or agricultural purpose, except that nothing in this article authorizes or prohibits the use of credit evaluations, credit scoring or insurance scoring in the underwriting of personal lines of property or casualty insurance;
(B) Employment purposes; or
(C) Any other purpose authorized under Section 15 U.S.C. §1681b as in effect on the effective date of this article.
(5) “Security freeze” means a notice, at the request of the consumer and subject to certain exceptions, that prohibits the consumer-reporting agency from releasing all or any part of the consumer's credit report or any information derived from it without the express authorization of the consumer.
(6) “Reviewing the account” or “account review” includes activities related to account maintenance, monitoring, credit line increases and account upgrades and enhancements.
