THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE BILL

INTRODUCED BY CRUZ, YOUNGBLOOD, HARHART, LONGIETTI, SIPTROTH, TALLMAN, MELIO, MANN, BARRAR, KORTZ, McGEEHAN AND JOSEPHS, MARCH 5, 2009

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS, MARCH 5, 2009  

AN ACT

Relating to confidentiality of Social Security numbers.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1.  Short title.

This act shall be known and may be cited as the Social

Security Number Confidentiality Act.

Section 2.  Definitions.

The following words and phrases when used in this act shall

have the meanings given to them in this section unless the

context clearly indicates otherwise:

"Publicly post" or "publicly display."  To intentionally

communicate or otherwise make available to the general public.

Section 3.  Privacy of Social Security numbers.

(a)  General rule.--No person or entity may do any of the

following:

(1)  Publicly post or publicly display in any manner an

individual's Social Security number.

(2)  Print an individual's Social Security number on any

card required for the individual to access products or

services provided by the person or entity.

(3)  Require an individual to transmit the individual's

Social Security number over the Internet unless the

connection is secure or the Social Security number is

encrypted.

(4)  Require an individual to use the individual's Social

Security number to access an Internet website unless a

password or unique personal identification number or other

authentication device is also required to access the Internet

website.

(5)  Print an individual's Social Security number on any

materials that are mailed to the individual unless Federal or

State law requires the Social Security number to be on the

document to be mailed. Notwithstanding this provision,

applications and forms sent by mail may include Social

Security numbers.

(b)  Use prior to effective date.--A person or entity that

has used, prior to the effective date of this section, an

individual's Social Security number in a manner inconsistent

with subsection (a) may continue using that individual's Social

Security number in that manner on or after the effective date of

this section, if all of the following conditions are met:

(1)  The use of the Social Security number is continuous.

If the use is stopped for any reason, subsection (a) shall

apply.

(2)  The individual is provided an annual disclosure by

the person or entity informing the individual that the

individual has the right to stop the use of the individual's

Social Security number in a manner prohibited by subsection

(a).

(3)  A written request by an individual to stop the use

of the individual's Social Security number in a manner

prohibited by subsection (a) shall be implemented within 30

days of the receipt of the request. There shall be no fee or

charge for implementing the request.

(4)  The person or entity does not deny services to an

individual because the individual makes a written request

pursuant to this subsection.

(c)  Mailings.--A Social Security number that is permitted to

be mailed under this section may not be printed, in whole or in

part, on a postcard or other mailer not requiring an envelope,

or visible on the envelope or without the envelope having been

opened.

(d)  Construction.--This section does not prevent the

collection, use or release of a Social Security number as

required by Federal or State law or the use of a Social Security

number for internal verification or administrative purposes.

Section 4.  Prohibition.

A person or entity may not encode or embed a Social Security

number in or on a card or document, including, but not limited

to, using a bar code, chip, magnetic strip or other technology,

in place of removing the Social Security number, as required by

this act.

Section 5.  Applicability.

This act does not apply to documents that are required to be

open to the public pursuant to any Federal or State law.

Section 6.  Effective date.

This act shall take effect in 60 days.