,i  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #bbbi  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,june #c1 #bjac ,mr4 
,ross 7for himself and ,ms4 ,castor of  
,florida7 introduced the following bill2
 which was referred to the ,committee on
 ,ways and ,means  ,a ,,bill  ,to       
require the ,commissioner of ,social    
,security to issue uniform standards for
 the method for truncation of ,social   
,security account numbers in order to   
protect such numbers from being used in 
the perpetration of fraud or identity   
theft and to provide for a prohibition  
on the display to the general public on 
the ,internet of ,social ,security      
account numbers by ,state and local     
governments and private entities1 and   
for other purposes4  #a4 ,short title   
,this ,act may be cited as the          
,safeguarding ,social ,security ,numbers
 ,act of #bjac4  #b4 ,findings ,congress
 makes the following findings3  7#a7    
,the ,federal ,government requires      
virtually every individual in the       

,united ,states to obtain and maintain a
 ,social ,security account number in    
order to pay taxes or to qualify for    
old-age1 survivors1 and disability      
insurance benefits under title ,,ii of  
the ,social ,security ,act4  7#b7 ,many 
,government agencies and private        
entities also use ,social ,security     
account numbers as identifiers to track 
individual records or as information    
that an individual must present to      
verify his or her identity4 ,thus1      
,social ,security account numbers are   
routinely collected1 recorded1 and      
transferred by public and private       
entities4  7#c7 ,as an unintended       
consequence of these uses1 ,social      
,security account numbers have become   
one of the tools that can be used to    
facilitate crime1 fraud1 and invasions  
of the privacy of the individuals to    
whom the numbers are assigned4  7#d7    
,according to the ,social ,security     
,administration's ,inspector ,general1  
#af percent of the #ii1jjj fraud cases  

it investigated in the #a-year period   
ending ,september #cj1 #bjjf1 involved  
the misuse of ,social ,security account 
numbers4  7#e7 ,the ,social ,security   
account number is also a key piece of   
information used in the perpetration of 
identity theft4 ,in calendar year #bjjf1
 over #bdj1jjj individuals reported to  
the ,federal ,trade ,commission that    
they had been the victims of an identity
 theft4 ,identity theft is a serious    
crime that can cause substantial        
financial losses and force victims to   
spend significant time restoring the    
accuracy of their credit records4  7#f7 
,social ,security account numbers are   
publicly displayed by some ,government  
entities4 ,in most jurisdictions        
throughout the ,united ,states1 ,state  
and local law requires that certain     
documentary records1 such as business   
filings1 property records1 and birth and
 marriage certificates1 be made         
available to the general public4 ,some  
of these records contain personally     

identifiable information of individuals1
 including ,social ,security account    
numbers4 ,increasingly1 ,state and local
 recordkeepers are displaying public    
records on the ,internet1 where these   
records are widely accessible at no cost
 or for a minimal fee4 ,there are known 
instances of criminals using personally 
identifiable information from online    
public records to commit identity theft4
  7#g7 ,private information resellers   
also routinely record and transfer      
individuals' ,social ,security account  
numbers and other personally            
identifiable information4 ,in a #bjjf   
study1 the ,government ,accountability  
,office 7,,gao7 was able to purchase    
truncated or full ,social ,security     
account numbers from #e of #ba ,internet
 information resellers that were        
surveyed4  7#h7 ,the ,,gao has          
concluded1 based on available evidence1 
that unauthorized access to personal    
data such as ,social ,security account  
numbers is a frequent occurrence4 ,a    

survey of #ag ,federal agencies by the  
,committee on ,oversight and ,government
 ,reform of the ,house of               
,representatives found that these       
agencies suffered more than #ghh data   
breaches from ,january #bjjc through    
,july #bjjf4  7#i7 ,in many instances1  
public and private entities seek to     
protect ,social ,security account       
numbers from abuse by truncating a      
portion of each number4 ,however1       
because truncation methods are not      
uniform1 it is possible to obtain a full
 ,social ,security account number by    
reconstructing the number based on      
partial information obtained from       
different sources4  7#aj7 ,in a report  
issued in ,june #bjjg1 the ,,gao found  
that truncated ,social ,security account
 numbers in ,federal documents stored as
 public records remain vulnerable to    
misuse1 in part because different       
truncation methods used by the public   
and private sectors permit the          
reconstruction of full ,social ,security

 account numbers4 ,federal entities such
 as the ,department of ,justice1 the    
,internal ,revenue ,service1 and the    
,judicial ,conference of the ,united    
,states truncate by displaying the last 
#d digits of the ,social ,security      
account number4 ,in contrast1 the ,,gao 
found that information resellers        
sometimes sell records containing       
,social ,security account numbers that  
are truncated to display the first #e   
digits4  7#aa7 ,the first #e digits of  
an individual's ,social ,security       
account number are assigned based on the
 location in which the account number   
was issued and the order in which the   
account number was issued4 ,the last #d 
digits of an individual's ,social       
,security account number are randomly   
generated1 creating a unique account    
number for each individual4 ,many public
 and private entities ask consumers to  
supply the last #d digits of ,social    
,security account numbers as a way to   
verify consumers' identities1 providing 

an additional reason for identity       
thieves to seek to acquire these digits4
  7#ab7 ,the ,,gao reported in #bjjf    
that it had been unable to identify any 
industry standards or guidelines for    
truncating ,social ,security account    
numbers4 ,moreover1 the ,,gao could not 
identify any consensus among ,government
 officials about which method for       
truncation better protects ,social      
,security account numbers from abuse4   
7#ac7 ,the ,,gao has stated that        
standardizing the truncation of ,social 
,security account numbers would better  
protect these numbers from misuse4      
,since #bjje1 the ,,gao has on multiple 
occasions recommended the establishment 
of uniform standards for truncation of  
,social ,security account numbers4      
7#ad7 ,given the ,social ,security      
,administration's role in assigning     
,social ,security account numbers1 the  
,commissioner of ,social ,security may  
be in the best position to determine    
whether and how truncation should be    

standardized4  7#ae7 ,the truncation of 
,social ,security account numbers1 even 
by ,federal ,government agencies1 is not
 comprehensively required or regulated4 
,currently1 the ,social ,security       
,administration does not have the legal 
authority to regulate the use of ,social
 ,security account numbers by other     
entities4  7#af7 ,because the ,federal  
,government created and maintains the   
system of required ,social ,security    
account numbers1 and because the        
,federal ,government does not permit    
individuals to exempt themselves from   
those requirements1 it is appropriate   
for the ,federal ,government to take    
steps to curb the abuse of ,social      
,security account numbers4  #c4         
,requirement to issue uniform standards 
for the method for truncation of ,social
 ,security account numbers  7a7 ,in     
general ,the ,commissioner of ,social   
,security shall issue uniform           
standards--  7#a7 for the method for    
truncation of ,social ,security account 

numbers in order to facilitate the      
protection of such numbers from being   
used in the perpetration of fraud or    
identity theft2 and  7#b7 for the method
 for encryption 7or other method of     
securing from disclosure7 of ,social    
,security account numbers transmitted by
 means of the ,internet4  ,such uniform 
standards shall not apply with respect  
to a ,social ,security account number of
 a deceased individual4  7b7            
,requirements  7#a7 ,in general ,in     
establishing the uniform standards      
required under subsection 7a71 the      
,commissioner of ,social ,security shall
 consider the matters described in      
paragraph 7#b7 and consult with1 at a   
minimum1 the heads of the following     
,federal agencies3  7,a7 ,the           
,department of ,justice4  7,b7 ,the     
,federal ,trade ,commission4  7,c7 ,the 
,department of the ,treasury4  7#b7     
,specific considerations ,for purposes  
of paragraph 7#a71 the matters described
 in this paragraph are the following3   

7,a7 ,the extent to which various       
methods for truncation of ,social       
,security account numbers will assist in
 the prevention of fraud and identity   
theft1 taking into account the          
following3  7i7 ,the risk that a        
truncated ,social ,security account     
number can be combined with other       
personally identifiable information to  
derive or acquire a complete ,social    
,security account number4  7ii7 ,the    
risk that the numerical digits not      
masked in the truncation process will   
reveal personally identifiable          
information about an individual4  7iii7 
,the risk that a truncated ,social      
,security account number can be used to 
derive or acquire from other sources a  
full ,social ,security account number4  
7,b7 ,the methods in use for the        
truncation of ,social ,security account 
numbers by the ,federal ,government1    
,state and local governments1 and       
private entities and the extent of use  
of each method by the ,federal          

,government1 ,state and local           
governments1 and private entities4  7,c7
 ,the reasons why ,social ,security     
account numbers are collected and       
recorded by the ,federal ,government1   
,state and local governments1 and       
private entities4  7,d7 ,the effect of  
each proposed method for truncation on  
the uses for ,social ,security account  
numbers by the ,federal ,government1    
,state and local governments1 and       
private entities4  7,e7 ,any comments   
regarding proposed methods for          
truncation submitted to the             
,commissioner from--  7i7 experts on    
privacy and data security1 consumer     
advocacy groups1 and identity theft     
assistance organizations2  7ii7 the     
,federal ,government or ,state or local 
governments1 including ,state ,attorneys
 ,general2  7iii7 representatives of    
private entities that transfer1 display1
 record1 or otherwise utilize ,social   
,security account numbers on a regular  
basis2  7iv7 the ,comptroller ,general  

of the ,united ,states2 and  7v7 any    
other appropriate entities4  #d4        
,application of uniform standards  7a7  
,federal ,government ,on and after the  
date that the ,commissioner of ,social  
,security determines in regulations     
issued pursuant to section #f1 the      
uniform standards issued under section  
#c7a7 shall apply to the ,federal       
,government--  7#a7 whenever the        
,federal ,government displays a ,social 
,security account number2 and  7#b7 to  
the extent practicable1 whenever the    
,federal ,government transfers1 records1
 or otherwise utilizes a ,social        
,security account number4  7b7 ,state   
and local governments2 private entities 
7#a7 ,display or transmission by a      
,state or local government by means of  
the ,internet  7,a7 ,prohibition  7i7   
,in general ,subject to clause 7ii71 a  
,state1 a political subdivision of a    
,state1 or any officer1 employee1 or    
contractor of a ,state or a political   
subdivision of a ,state1 shall not      

display to the general public on the    
,internet all or any portion of any     
,social ,security account number4  7ii7 
,exceptions ,a ,state1 a political      
subdivision of a ,state1 or any officer1
 employee1 or contractor of a ,state or 
a political subdivision of a ,state may 
display to the general public on the    
,internet--  7,i7 a portion of a ,social
 ,security account number if such       
display complies with the uniform       
standards for the method for truncation 
and encryption of such numbers issued by
 the ,commissioner of ,social ,security 
under section #c2 and  7,,ii7 all or any
 portion of a ,social ,security account 
number of a deceased individual4  7,b7  
,penalties ,a ,state1 a political       
subdivision of a ,state1 or any officer1
 employee1 or contractor of a ,state or 
a political subdivision of a ,state that
 violates subparagraph 7,a7 shall be    
subject to a civil penalty of not more  
than #e1jjj per day for each day that   
the ,state or political subdivision     

violated such subsection4  7,c7         
,enforcement ,the ,attorney ,general may
 bring a civil action against a ,state1 
a political subdivision of a ,state1 or 
any officer1 employee1 or contractor of 
a ,state or a political subdivision of a
 ,state1 in any appropriate ,united     
,states ,district ,court for a violation
 of subparagraph 7,a74  7,d7 ,effective 
date ,subparagraphs 7,a7 through 7,c7   
shall take effect on the date that is #a
 year after the date on which           
regulations are issued under section #f 
and shall apply to violations occurring 
on or after that date4  7#b7 ,display by
 other means ,it is the sense of        
,congress that if a ,state1 local       
government1 or private entity displays a
 ,social ,security account number in a  
manner other than that described in     
paragraph 7#a71 the ,state1 local       
government1 or private entity should    
comply with the uniform standards issued
 under section #c to the same extent    
that the ,federal ,government or a      

,state or local government is required  
to comply with such standards under     
subsection 7a7 and paragraph 7#a7 of    
this subsection4  #e4 ,grants to ,state 
and local governments to come into      
compliance with the prohibition on the  
display to the general public on the    
,internet of ,social ,security account  
numbers  7a7 ,in general ,the ,attorney 
,general shall award grants to ,states  
and political subdivisions of ,states to
 carry out activities to remove1 redact1
 or truncate1 in accordance with the    
uniform standards for the method of     
truncation issued under section #c1 all 
,social ,security account numbers on    
forms and records of executive1         
legislative1 and judicial agencies of   
,states and political subdivisions of   
,states that1 as of the date that is #a 
year after the date on which regulations
 are issued under section #f1 would be  
displayed to the general public on the  
,internet in violation of section       
#d7;b77#a74  7b7 ,application ,a ,state 

or political subdivision of a ,state    
desiring a grant under this subsection  
shall submit an application to the      
,attorney ,general at such time1 in such
 manner1 and containing such information
 as the ,attorney ,general may          
reasonably require4  7c7 ,authorization 
of appropriations ,there is authorized  
to be appropriated to the ,attorney     
,general to carry out this subsection1  
#aj1jjj1jjj for each of fiscal years    
#bjad and #bjae4  #f4 ,regulations ,not 
later than the date that is #f months   
after the date of the enactment of this 
,act1 the ,commissioner of ,social      
,security shall issue regulations to    
carry out this ,act4  #g4 ,,gao ,report 
,not later than #ah months after the    
effective date of the regulations issued
 by the ,commissioner of ,social        
,security under section #f1 the         
,comptroller ,general of the ,united    
,states shall report to ,congress on the
 extent to which the uniform standards  
required under section #c have resulted 

in the adoption of such standards by    
private entities1 and whether these     
standards are likely to provide greater 
protection against fraud and identity   
theft than the practices adhered to     
prior to such date4 ,the report shall   
include--  7#a7 a recommendation        
regarding--  7,a7 whether such standards
 should be mandatory for ,state and     
local governments and private entities1 
and if so1 under what circumstances2 and
  7,b7 whether making such standards    
mandatory for such entities 7with       
respect to each circumstance identified 
under subparagraph 7,a77 would help     
prevent fraud1 identity theft1 and      
unauthorized access to consumers'       
personally identifiable information2 and
  7#b7 recommendations for such         
additional legislation or administrative
 action as the ,comptroller ,general    
determines appropriate to further reduce
 the risks of fraud1 identity theft1 and
 unauthorized access resulting from the 
transfer1 sale1 display1 recording1 or  

other utilization of ,social ,security  
account numbers4  #h4 ,preemption of    
,state law ,this ,act and the amendments
 made by this ,act shall supersede a    
provision of ,state law only if1 and    
only to the extent that1 such provision 
conflicts with a requirement of this    
,act or an amendment made by this ,act4 
#i4 ,definitions ,in this ,act--  7#a7  
the term display to the general public  
on the ,internet means1 in connection   
with all or any portion of a ,social    
,security account number1 to post or to 
permit the continued presence of such   
number1 or any portion of such number in
 a viewable manner on an ,internet site 
that is available to the general public1
 including any ,internet site that      
requires a fee for access to information
 accessible on or through the site2     
7#b7 the term ,social ,security account 
number means the account number assigned
 to an individual by the ,commissioner  
of ,social ,security in the exercise of 
the ,commissioner's authority under     

section #bje7;c77#b7 of the ,social     
,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4           
#dje7;c77#b77 and includes any          
derivative of such number2 and  7#c7 the
 term ,state means each of the #ej      
,states1 the ,district of ,columbia1 the
 ,commonwealth of ,puerto ,rico1 the    
,united ,states ,virgin ,islands1 ,guam1
 and the ,commonwealth of the ,northern 
,mariana ,islands4