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Committee advances unclaimed‑property transparency bill over treasurer objections
Summary
A committee advanced SB 2,063 to require the treasurer to list unclaimed‑property owner names, last known addresses and cash values on a public website to make it easier for citizens to claim property; the treasurer's office reportedly raised privacy and administrative concerns.
Senate Bill 2,063, presented by Senator Murdock, would require the state treasurer to list names of apparent owners, last known addresses, property types, cash values and years reported on an unclaimed‑property website to make it easier for residents to find and claim property.
Murdock described the measure as a transparency and reform effort "so it's easier for people to come claim their unclaimed property from the state." He said the fund currently stands at approximately $1.4 billion and argued citizens should have easier access to records. Murdock acknowledged the treasurer's lobbyists informed him the treasurer's office would oppose parts of the bill, and members raised privacy and fraud concerns about making additional data public.
In committee questions, the sponsor said no new sensitive information would be released beyond what is appropriate for public records and that states adopting similar approaches reported low fraud rates. The committee voted to advance SB 2,063 (7 ayes, 3 nays).
