SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- They were targeted by an international ring of computer thieves -- so why did a number of large retail chains fail to notify customers in California about the theft of sensitive credit information?

That question was left unanswered Wednesday in a Capitol hearing about identity theft, as eight corporations were no-shows.

According to a federal indictment, all eight corporations were victimized through identity theft and stolen data by a large international ring of hackers.

Office Max, Barnes & Noble, Sports Authority, TJX -- also known as TJ Maxx -- DSW, and Dave & Buster's, Boston Market and Forever 21 opted to ignore the invitation from the Assembly Judiciary Committee.

Sacramento Assembly member Dave Jones invited the corporations to the hearing. However, no representatives from any of the corporations were in attendance.

In 2003, California became the first state in the nation to enact a law requiring stores to notify customers of a breach. Wednesday's hearing raised questions about whether that law is tough enough.

Gail Hillebrand from the Consumers Union said identity theft affects more than 8 million adults nationwide every year.

A California retailer's spokesman did show up at the hearing and said security is a top priority.

"We've invested millions of dollars, obviously, there are compliance programs out there that everyone is following," Bill Dombrowski from the California Retailers Association said.