I
103D CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 3919
To restrict the use of social security account numbers to purposes related
to social security and other social services.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY 28, 1994
Mr. BLUTE (by request) introduced the following bill; which was referred
jointly to the Committees on Ways and Means and Government Operations
A BILL
To restrict the use of social security account numbers to
purposes related to social security and other social services.
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 ‘‘Social Security Privacy
Act of 1994’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND DECLARATION OF POLICY.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds the following:
(1) The social security account number is a
very effective and powerful method of identifying in-
dividuals in modern society and its use must there-
for be restricted if reasonable levels of privacy are
to be maintained.
(2) Numerous citizens concerned for their pri-
vacy have petitioned the Congress that use of their
social security account numbers at all levels of gov-
ernment be restricted.
(b) DECLARATION OF POLICY.—It is therefore the
policy of the Congress to restrict the use of the social secu-
rity account number to purposes most directly related to
social security and other social services.
SEC. 3. RESTRICTIONS ON USE OF SOCIAL SECURITY AC-
COUNT NUMBERS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—So much of section 205(c)(2)(C)
of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 405(c)(2)(C)) as
precedes clause (iii) is amended to read as follows:
‘‘(C)(i) Except to the extent otherwise provided in
this subsection or to the extent otherwise provided in any
other provision of Federal law specifically referring to this
subparagraph, it shall be unlawful for the Federal Govern-
ment, any State (or political subdivision thereof), or any
agency thereof—
‘‘(I) to deny to any individual any right, bene-
fit, or privilege provided by law because of such indi-
vidual’s refusal to disclose his or her social security
account number assigned by the Secretary, or
‘‘(II) to utilize, without the individual’s written
consent, any number consisting in whole or in part
of the individual’s social security account number as-
signed by the Secretary, or any derivitive thereof, for
purposes of identifying the individual.
Any Federal, State, or local government agency which re-
quests an individual to disclose his or her social security
account number shall inform such individual whether that
disclosure is mandatory or voluntary, by what statutory
or other authority such number is solicited, and what uses
will be made of it.
‘‘(ii) Any State (or political subdivision thereof) may,
in the administration of any general public assistance law
within its jurisdiction, utilize the social security account
numbers issued by the Secretary for the purpose of estab-
lishing the identification of individuals affected by such
law, and may require any individual who is or appears to
be so affected to furnish to such State (or political subdivi-
sion thereof) or any agency thereof having administrative
responsibility for such law, the social security account
number (or numbers, if he or she has more than one such
number) issued to him or her by the Secretary.’’.
(b) 
ADDITIONAL
AMENDMENTS.—Section
205(c)(2)(C) of such Act is further amended—