I 

108TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4846 

To reduce the risk of identity theft by limiting the use of Social Security 

account numbers on certain Government-issued identification cards and 

Government documents. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 15, 2004 

Ms. GRANGER (for herself, Mr. BURGESS, Mr. GILLMOR, Mr. PAUL, Ms. HARRIS, and Mr. CALVERT) introduced the following bill; which was referred 

to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees 

on Armed Services, Energy and Commerce, and Veterans’ Affairs, for a 

period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 

consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To reduce the risk of identity theft by limiting the use 

of Social Security account numbers on certain Government-issued identification cards and Government documents. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Social Security Num5 ber Privacy and Protection Act of 2004’’. 
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1 SEC. 2. ALTERATION OF SELECTIVE SERVICE REMINDER 

2 MAILBACK CARD TO REDUCE RISK OF THEFT 

3 OF SOCIAL SECURITY ACCOUNT NUMBERS. 

4 Not later than two years after the date of the enact5 ment of this Act, the Director of Selective Service shall 

6 alter the form of the Selective Service reminder mailback 

7 card, or the method by which the card is submitted to 

8 the Selective Service System, to reduce the risk of theft 

9 of social security account numbers included as part of the 

10 identifying information required from persons presenting 

11 themselves for registration under the Military Selective 

12 Service Act (50 U.S.C. App. 451 et seq.). 

13 SEC. 3. ELIMINATION OF SOCIAL SECURITY ACCOUNT NUM14 BER FROM MEDICARE, MEDICAID, AND SCHIP 

15 IDENTIFICATION CARDS. 

16 (a) MEDICARE.—Section 1874 of the Social Security 

17 Act (42 U.S.C. 1395kk) is amended by adding at the end 

18 the following new subsection: 

19 ‘‘(d) Any individual identification or similar card 

20 issued to carry out this title shall not contain the social 

21 security account number of any individual, but may con22 tain another identification number or code as the Sec23 retary may specify. Nothing in this subsection shall be 

24 construed as preventing the use of social security account 

25 numbers for claims or other purposes under this title.’’. 
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1 (b) MEDICAID.—Section 1902(a)(48) of such Act (42 

2 U.S.C. 1396a(a)(48)) is amended by inserting before the 

3 semicolon at the end the following: ‘‘and in issuing any 

4 individual identification card to carry out this title, pro5 vide that the card shall not contain the social security ac6 count number of any individual (but may contain another 

7 identification number or code as the State may specify)’’. 

8 (c) SCHIP.—Section 2102(b) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 

9 1397bb(b)) is amended by adding at the end the following 

10 new paragraph: 

11 ‘‘(5) RESTRICTIONS ON IDENTIFICATION

12 CARDS.—Any individual identification or similar 

13 card issued to carry out this title shall not contain 

14 the social security account number of any individual 

15 (including a family member) but may contain an16 other identification number or code as the State may 

17 specify. Nothing in this paragraph shall be con18 strued as preventing the use of social security ac19 count numbers for claims or other purposes under 

20 this title.’’. 

21 (d) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 

22 this section shall take effect 2 years after the date of the 

23 enactment of this Act and shall apply to individual identi24 fication cards issued on or after such effective date. 
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1 SEC. 4. ELIMINATION OF SOCIAL SECURITY ACCOUNT NUM2 BER FROM VETERANS HEALTH CARE IDENTI3 FICATION CARDS ISSUED BY THE DEPART4 MENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. 

5 (a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 73 of title 38, United 

6 States Code, is amended by inserting after section 7334 

7 the following new section: 

8 ‘‘§ 7335. Prohibition on use of social security account 

9 number on health care identification 

10 cards 

11 ‘‘In issuing individual identification cards (or similar 

12 cards) for purposes of management of health care benefits 

13 under chapter 17 of this title, the Secretary shall provide 

14 that any such card that is issued after the end of the two15 year period beginning on the date of the enactment of this 

16 section shall not contain the social security account num17 ber of any individual (including a family member).’’. 

18 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 

19 at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting 

20 after the item relating to section 7344 the following new 

21 item: 

‘‘7355. Prohibition on use of social security account number on health care identification cards.’’. 
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1 SEC. 5. SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING REMOVAL OF SO2 CIAL SECURITY ACCOUNT NUMBERS FROM 

3 IDENTIFICATION AND CLAIMS CARDS USED 

4 BY HEALTH INSURERS. 

5 It is the sense of Congress that health insurers should 

6 not use social security account numbers on insurance iden7 tification or claims cards issued to beneficiaries, but 

8 should substitute another identification code or number 

9 instead. 

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