WASHINGTON — Consumer protections are more and more on the minds of lawmakers in Washington, including pressing issues like data security and credit card issues.

House Financial Services Committee Majority Staff Counsel Kellie Larkin outlined a host of consumer protection items the panel will be looking at in the 110th Congress, including data security, credit card issues, Katrina recovery and insurance, and housing needs among many others. "We've got a lot on our plate and it's really important that we hear from you," she emphasized.

Particularly after the TJ Maxx breach, Chairman Barney Frank (D-Mass.) is especially interested in data security legislation, which has faced troubles in the past over committee jurisdictional bickering. The Energy & Commerce Committee has already introduced legislation similar to what it had last year, which includes making the Federal Trade Commission a "super regulator" with enforcement authority in the states. Credit unions and the rest of the financial services community have supported previous legislation from the House Financial Services Committee that established a carve-out for financial services providers; Financial Services expects to introduce legislation shortly.