Social Security Number Misuse Prevention Act

Bill: 109-s-29
Sponsor: Sen. Feinstein, Dianne [D-CA]
Introduced: 2005-01-24 in the Senate
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Checks
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Civil actions and liability
Class actions (Civil procedure)
Commerce
Congress
Congressional investigations
Congressional reporting requirements
Consumer education
Consumer protection
Cost effectiveness
Counterfeiting
Crime prevention
Criminal justice information
Damages
Department of Justice
Electronic commerce
Electronic data interchange
Employee crimes
Federal employees
Finance and Financial Sector
Fines (Penalties)
Fraud
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Identification devices
Injunctions
Internet
Labor and Employment
Larceny
Law
Legislation
Limitation of actions
Local employees
Misconduct in office
Old age, survivors and disability insurance
Parties to actions
Prison labor
Prisoners
Public records
Punitive damages
Retail trade
Right of privacy
Science, Technology, Communications
Social Welfare
Social security numbers
Stalking
State courts
State employees
Sunset legislation
Supplemental security income program
Terrorism
Welfare fraud

Summary:
action_date: 2005-01-24
text: 
Social Security Number Misuse Prevention Act - Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit the display, sale, or purchase of Social Security numbers without the affirmatively expressed consent of the individual, except in specified circumstances. Directs the Attorney General to study and report to Congress on all the uses of Social Security numbers permitted, required, authorized, or excepted under any federal law, including the impact of such uses on privacy and data security.
 
Establishes a public records exception to the prohibition. Directs the Comptroller General to study and report to Congress on Social Security numbers in public records. Grants the Attorney General rulemaking authority to enforce this Act's prohibition and to implement and clarify the permitted uses occurring as a result of an interaction between businesses, governments, or business and government. 
 
Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to prohibit: (1) the use of Social Security numbers on checks issued for payment by governmental agencies; and (2) inmate access to Social Security account numbers.
 
Prohibits a commercial entity from requiring an individual to provide a Social Security number when purchasing a commercial good or service or denying an individual the good or service for refusing to provide that number, with exceptions. Establishes civil and criminal penalties.
 
Extends civil monetary penalties for misuse of a Social Security number.
 
Provides for: (1) criminal penalties under SSA title II for the misuse of a Social Security number; (2) civil actions and civil penalties against persons who violate this Act; and (3) federal injunctive authority with respect to any violation by a public entity.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2005-01-24
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text of measure as introduced: CR S217-221)
action_date: 2005-01-24
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S216-217)
action_date: 2005-01-24
text: Introduced in Senate