Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott reached settlement agreements with Select Medical Corp. and RadioShack that will help protect Texans from identity theft. The settlements resolve two state enforcement actions, which charged both defendants with violating state laws governing the disposal of customer records that contain sensitive personal information.

Under the agreements, the state will receive nearly $1.5 million that will ultimately fund future identity theft investigations and prosecutions. Equally important, both defendants will strengthen their existing information security policies by implementing new employee training programs that highlight identity theft prevention and educate staff about proper document destruction protocols. Under Texas law, vendors must take specific precautions before discarding documents that include customers' bank accounts, driver's license and Social Security numbers.