Social Security Number Privacy and Identity Theft Prevention Act of 2004

Bill: 108-s-2801
Sponsor: Sen. Feinstein, Dianne [D-CA]
Introduced: 2004-09-14 in the Senate
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Alien labor
Aliens
Checks
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Commerce
Confidential communications
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Conspiracy
Consumer credit
Consumer education
Consumer protection
Cost effectiveness
Counterfeiting
Department of Justice
Driver licenses
Drug abuse
Drug traffic
Electronic government information
Encryption
Federal employees
Finance and Financial Sector
Fines (Penalties)
Fraud
Government Operations and Politics
Government contractors
Governmental investigations
Health
Identification devices
Identity theft
Immigration
International Affairs
Internet
Labor and Employment
Law
Legislation
Local employees
Mandatory sentences
Medical records
Misconduct in office
Motor vehicle registration
Old age, survivors and disability insurance
Photography
Prison labor
Prisoners
Public records
Recidivists
Restrictive trade practices
Right of privacy
Science, Technology, Communications
Sentences (Criminal procedure)
Social Security Administration
Social Welfare
Social security numbers
State employees
Sunset legislation
Terrorism
Transportation and Public Works
Trusts and trustees
Violence
Web sites

Summary:
action_date: 2004-09-14
text: 
Social Security Number Privacy and Identity Theft Prevention Act of 2004 - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to: (1) specify restrictions on the sale and display to the general public of Social Security account numbers (SSNs) (or any derivatives) by Federal, State, and local governments and bankruptcy case trustees; (2) prohibit the display of SSNs (or any derivatives) on checks issued for payment by such governments, or on driver's licenses or motor vehicle registrations; (3) prohibit the Federal, State, or local government display of SSNs (or any derivatives) on employee identification cards or tags (IDs); (4) prohibit access to the SSNs of other individuals by prisoners employed by Federal, State, or local governments; (5) prohibit the selling, purchasing, or displaying of SSNs (with certain exceptions), or the obtaining or use of any individual's SSN to locate or identify such individual with the intent to physically injure or harm such individual or to use the individual's ID for any illegal purpose by any person; and (6) require States to require independent verification of birth records provided in support of applications for SSNs.
 
Subjects to the Fair Credit Reporting Act information regarding a consumer's SSN (and any derivative) (credit header information). Provides that any person who refuses to do business with an individual for refusing to disclose his or her SSN shall be considered to have committed an unfair or deceptive act or practice.
 
Directs the Commissioner of Social Security to: (1) make improvements to the enumeration at birth program for the issuance of Social Security account numbers to newborns; and (2) by regulation restrict the issuance of multiple replacement Social Security cards to any individual to minimize fraud.
 
Establishes civil and criminal penalties for violations of this Act, and enhanced penalties in cases of terrorism, drug trafficking, crimes of violence, or prior offenses.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2004-09-14
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text of measure as introduced: CR S9225-9231)
action_date: 2004-09-14
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S9224)
action_date: 2004-09-14
text: Introduced in Senate