,i  #aaeth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #gbci  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,december #aj1       
#bjah,ms4 ,lofgren introduced the       
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on ,energy and ,commerce1
 and in addition to the ,committee on   
,ways and ,means1 for a period to be    
subsequently determined by the ,speaker1
 in each case for consideration of such 
provisions as fall within the           
jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
,a ,,bill  ,to prohibit requests for the
 disclosure of a social security account
 number in commercial transactions1 and 
for other purposes4  #a4 ,short title   
,this ,act may be cited as the ,securing
 ,social ,security ,numbers ,act4  #b4  
,prohibition on requesting disclosure of
 a social security account number for   
consumer transactions  7a7 ,in general  
,a commercial entity shall not request  
that an individual provide the          
individual's social security account    
number when purchasing a commercial good

 or service or deny an individual the   
good or service for refusing to provide 
that number except--  7#a7 for any      
purpose relating to-- 7,a7 obtaining a  
consumer report for any purpose         
permitted under the ,fair ,credit       
,reporting ,act2  7,b7 a background     
check of the individual conducted by a  
landlord1 lessor1 employer1 or voluntary
 service agency2  7,c7 law enforcement2 
or  7,d7 a ,federal1 ,state1 or local   
law requirement2 or  7#b7 if the social 
security account number is necessary to 
verify the identity of the consumer to  
effect1 administer1 or enforce the      
specific transaction requested or       
authorized by the consumer1 or to       
prevent fraud4  7b7 ,purging of         
collected social security account       
numbers ,a commercial entity that has   
acquired social security account numbers
 prior to the enactment of this ,act is 
prohibited from intentional continued   
possession of such social security      
account numbers and must purge all such 

social security account numbers from its
 records not later than #ahj days after 
the effective date of this ,act1 unless 
the commercial entity would qualify for 
an exception under subsection 7a74  7c7 
,limitation on predispute arbitration   
agreements ,no predispute arbitration   
agreement shall be valid or enforceable 
if it requires arbitration of a         
violation of this section4  7d7 ,state  
attorney general enforcement ,in any    
case in which the attorney general of a 
,state has reason to believe that an    
interest of the residents of that ,state
 has been or is threatened or adversely 
affected by the engagement of any person
 in a practice that is prohibited under 
this section1 the ,state1 as parens     
patriae1 may bring a civil action on    
behalf of the residents of the ,state in
 a district court of the ,united ,states
 of appropriate jurisdiction to--  7#a7 
enjoin that practice2  7#b7 enforce     
compliance with such section2  7#c7     
obtain damages1 restitution1 or other   

compensation on behalf of residents of  
the ,state2 or  7#d7 obtain such other  
relief as the court may consider        
appropriate4  #c4 ,civil actions and    
civil penalties  7a7 ,civil action in   
state courts  7#a7 ,statute of          
limitations ,an action may be commenced 
under this subsection not later than the
 earlier of-- 7,a7 #e years after the   
date on which the alleged violation     
occurred2 or  7,b7 #c years after the   
date on which the alleged violation was 
or should have been reasonably          
discovered by the aggrieved individual4 
7#b7 ,nonexclusive remedy ,the remedy   
provided under this subsection shall be 
in addition to any other remedies       
available to the individual4  7b7 ,civil
 penalties  7#a7 ,in general ,any person
 who the ,attorney ,general determines  
has violated any section of this ,act or
 of any amendments made by this ,act    
shall be subject1 in addition to any    
other penalties that may be prescribed  
by law--  7,a7 to a civil penalty of not

 more than #e1jjj for each such         
violation2 and  7,b7 to a civil penalty 
of not more than #ej1jjj1 if the        
violations have occurred with such      
frequency as to constitute a pattern or 
practice of violations4  7#b7           
,determination of violations ,any       
intentional violation committed         
contemporaneously with respect to the   
social security account numbers of #b or
 more individuals shall be treated as a 
separate violation with respect to each 
such individual4  #d4 ,effective date   
,the amendment made by this ,act shall  
be in effect #a year after the date of  
enactment of this ,act4