I 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1931
To protect the privacy of the individual with respect to the Social Security 
number and other personal information, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 1, 2003
Mr. KLECZKA (for himself, Mr. FROST, Mr. STARK, Mr. KUCINICH, Mr. 
MCNULTY, Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA, and Mr. KINGSTON) introduced the fol-
lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, 
and in addition to the Committee on Financial Services, for a period to 
be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consider-
ation of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
concerned 
A BILL 
To protect the privacy of the individual with respect to 
the Social Security number and other personal informa-
tion, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Personal Information 
Privacy Act of 2003’’.
SEC. 2. CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT OF CREDIT HEADER 
INFORMATION. 
Section 603(d)(1) of the Fair Credit Reporting Act 
(15 U.S.C. 1681a(d)(1)) is amended by inserting after 
subparagraph (C) the following new sentence: 
‘‘The term also includes any other identifying 
information of the consumer, except the name, ad-
dress, and telephone number of the consumer if list-
ed in a residential telephone directory available in 
the locality of the consumer.’’. 
SEC. 3. PROTECTING PRIVACY BY PROHIBITING USE OF 
THE SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER FOR COM-
MERCIAL PURPOSES WITHOUT CONSENT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Part A of title XI of the Social 
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1301 et seq.) is amended by add-
ing at the end the following: 
‘‘PROHIBITION OF CERTAIN MISUSES OF THE SOCIAL 
SECURITY ACCOUNT NUMBER 
‘‘SEC. 1150A. (a) PROHIBITION OF COMMERCIAL AC-
QUISITION OR DISTRIBUTION.—No person may buy, sell, 
offer for sale, take or give in exchange, or pledge or give 
in pledge any information for the purpose, in whole or in 
part, of conveying by means of such information any indi-
vidual’s social security account number, or any derivative 
of such number, without the written consent of such indi-
vidual.
‘‘(b) PROHIBITION OF USE AS PERSONAL IDENTI-
FICATION NUMBER.—No person may utilize any individ-
ual’s social security account number, or any derivative of 
such number, for purposes of identification of such indi-
vidual without the written consent of such individual. 
‘‘(c) PREREQUISITES FOR CONSENT.—In order for 
consent to exist under subsection (a) or (b), the person 
engaged in, or seeking to engage in, an activity described 
in such subsection shall—
‘‘(1) inform the individual of all the purposes 
for which the number will be utilized and the per-
sons to whom the number will be known; and 
‘‘(2) obtain affirmatively expressed consent in 
writing. 
‘‘(d) EXCEPTIONS.—Nothing in this section shall be 
construed to prohibit any use of social security account 
numbers permitted or required under section 205(c)(2) of 
this Act, section 7(a)(2) of the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 
U.S.C. 552a note; 88 Stat. 1909), or section 6109(d) of 
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. 
‘‘(e) CIVIL ACTION IN UNITED STATES DISTRICT 
COURT; DAMAGES; ATTORNEYS FEES AND COSTS; NON-
EXCLUSIVE NATURE OF REMEDY.—
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—Any individual aggrieved 
by any act of any person in violation of this section
may bring a civil action in a United States district 
court to recover—
‘‘(A) such preliminary and equitable relief 
as the court determines to be appropriate; and 
‘‘(B) the greater of—
‘‘(i) actual damages; and 
‘‘(ii) liquidated damages of $25,000 
or, in the case of a violation that was will-
ful and resulted in profit or monetary gain, 
$50,000. 
‘‘(2) ATTORNEY’S
FEES
AND
COSTS.—In the 
case of a civil action brought under paragraph (1) 
in which the aggrieved individual has substantially 
prevailed, the court may assess against the respond-
ent a reasonable attorney’s fee and other litigation 
costs and expenses (including expert fees) reasonably 
incurred. 
‘‘(3) STATUTE
OF
LIMITATIONS.—No action 
may be commenced under this subsection more than 
3 years after the date on which the violation was or 
should reasonably have been discovered by the ag-
grieved individual. 
‘‘(4) NONEXCLUSIVE
REMEDY.—The remedy 
provided under this subsection shall be in addition to 
any other lawful remedy available to the individual.