vancing the public good, on the condition that the 
researcher provides adequate assurances that— 
‘‘(i) the social security account numbers 
will not be used to harass, target, or publicly 
reveal information concerning any identifiable 
individuals; 
‘‘(ii) information about identifiable individ-
uals obtained from the research will not be used 
to make decisions that directly affect the rights, 
benefits, or privileges of specific individuals; 
and 
‘‘(iii) the researcher has in place appro-
priate safeguards to protect the privacy and 
confidentiality of any information about identi-
fiable individuals, including procedures to en-
sure that the social security account numbers 
will be encrypted or otherwise appropriately se-
cured from unauthorized disclosure. 
‘‘(3) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), a social security 
account number assigned to an individual may be sold, 
purchased, or displayed to the general public by any per-
son— 
‘‘(A) to the extent consistent with such individ-
ual’s voluntary and affirmative written consent to 
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the sale, purchase, or display of the social security 
account number, but only if— 
‘‘(i) the terms of the consent and the right 
to refuse consent are presented to the individual 
in a clear, conspicuous, and understandable 
manner, 
‘‘(ii) the individual is placed under no obli-
gation to provide consent to any such sale, pur-
chase, or display, and 
‘‘(iii) the terms of the consent authorize 
the individual to limit the sale, purchase, or dis-
play to purposes directly associated with the 
transaction with respect to which the consent is 
sought, and 
‘‘(B) under such circumstances as may be 
deemed appropriate in regulations issued as provided 
under subsection (j). 
‘‘(4) In the case of social security account numbers 
which constitute personally identifiable medical informa-
tion, the Commissioner of Social Security, with respect to 
medical research which is referred to in paragraph (3)(A) 
or which is treated in regulations of the Commissioner 
issued pursuant to paragraph (3)(B), shall maintain ongo-
ing consultation with the Office for Civil Rights of the De-
partment of Health and Human Services to ensure that 
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the sale or purchase of such social security account num-
bers is permitted only in compliance with existing Federal 
rules and regulations prescribed by the Secretary of 
Health and Human Services pursuant to section 264(c) 
of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability 
Act of 1996 (110 Stat. 2033). 
‘‘(c) PROHIBITION OF UNAUTHORIZED DISCLOSURE 
TO GOVERNMENT AGENCIES OR INSTRUMENTALITIES.— 
(1) It shall be unlawful for any person to communicate 
by any means to any agency or instrumentality of the 
United States or of any State or political subdivision 
thereof the social security account number of any indi-
vidual other than such person without the written permis-
sion of such individual, unless the number was requested 
by the agency or instrumentality. In the case of an indi-
vidual who is legally incompetent, permission provided by 
the individual’s legal representatives shall be deemed to 
be permission provided by such individual. 
‘‘(2) Paragraph (1) shall not apply to the extent nec-
essary— 
‘‘(A) for law enforcement, including (but not 
limited to) the enforcement of a child support obliga-
tion, or 
‘‘(B) for national security purposes, 
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as determined under regulations issued as provided under 
subsection (j). 
‘‘(d) PROHIBITION OF THE DISPLAYS ON CARDS OR 
TAGS REQUIRED FOR ACCESS TO GOODS, SERVICES, OR 
BENEFITS.—No person may display a social security ac-
count number on any card or tag issued to any other per-
son for the purpose of providing such other person access 
to any goods, services, or benefits or include on such card 
or tag a magnetic strip, bar code, or other means of com-
munication which conveys such number. 
‘‘(e) PROHIBITION OF THE DISPLAYS ON EMPLOYEE 
IDENTIFICATION CARDS OR TAGS.—No person that is an 
employer, and no other person offering benefits in connec-
tion with an employee benefit plan maintained by such em-
ployer or acting as an agent of such employer, may display 
a social security account number on any card or tag that 
is commonly provided to employees of such employer (or 
to their family members) for purposes of identification or 
include on such card or tag a magnetic strip, bar code, 
or other means of communication which conveys such 
number. 
‘‘(f) MEASURES TO PRECLUDE UNAUTHORIZED DIS-
CLOSURE OF SOCIAL SECURITY ACCOUNT NUMBERS AND 
PROTECT THE CONFIDENTIALITY OF SUCH NUMBERS.— 
Subject to the preceding provisions of this section, any 
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