PRINTER'S NO. 111
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No.
177
Session of
2015
INTRODUCED BY GREENLEAF, FARNESE, BROWNE, VULAKOVICH, VANCE AND
RAFFERTY, JANUARY 15, 2015
REFERRED TO COMMUNICATIONS AND TECHNOLOGY, JANUARY 15, 2015
AN ACT
Amending the act of June 29, 2006 (P.L.281, No.60), entitled "An
act relating to confidentiality of Social Security numbers;
and making a related repeal," further providing for privacy
of Social Security numbers.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 1(a) and (c) of the act of June 29, 2006
(P.L.281, No.60), entitled "An act relating to confidentiality
of Social Security numbers; and making a related repeal," are
amended to read:
Section 1. Privacy of Social Security numbers.
(a) General rule.--A person or entity or State agency or
political subdivision shall not do any of the following:
(1) Publicly post or publicly display in any manner an
individual's Social Security number. "Publicly post" or
"publicly display" means to intentionally communicate or
otherwise make available to the general public.
(2) Print an individual's Social Security number on any
card required for the individual to access products or
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services provided by the person, entity or State agency or
political subdivision.
(3) Require an individual to transmit his or her Social
Security number over the Internet unless the connection is
secure or the Social Security number is encrypted.
(4) Require an individual to use his or her 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 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, Social
Security numbers may be included in applications and forms
sent by mail, including documents sent as part of an
application or enrollment process or to establish, amend or
terminate an account, contract or policy or to confirm the
accuracy of the Social Security number. 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.
(6) Disclose in any manner, except to the agency issuing
the license, the Social Security number of an individual who
applies for a recreational license. For the purposes of this
paragraph, a "recreational license" means a license issued
pursuant to 30 Pa.C.S. (relating to fish) or 34 Pa.C.S.
(relating to game).
(7) Refuse any service, privilege or right to an
individual wholly or partly in a business transaction because
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the individual refuses to disclose or furnish the Social
Security number of the individual.
* * *
(c) [Exception] Exceptions.--
(1) A person or entity, not including a State agency or
political subdivision, 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:
(i) The use of the Social Security number is
continuous. If the use is stopped for any reason,
subsection (a) shall apply.
(ii) The individual is provided an annual
disclosure, commencing in the year after the effective
date of this section, that informs the individual that he
or she has the right to stop the use of his or her Social
Security number in a manner prohibited by subsection (a).
(2) An individual who receives an annual disclosure
under paragraph (1) has the right to stop the use of his or
her Social Security number in a manner prohibited by
subsection (a) and must exercise that right by submitting a
written request to the person or entity. The person or entity
shall discontinue use of the individual's Social Security
number within 30 days of the receipt of the request. There
shall be no fee or charge for complying with the request. A
person or entity shall not deny services to an individual
because the individual makes a written request pursuant to
this subsection.
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(3) Subsection (a) does not apply if:
(i) The Social Security account number is requested
for purposes of employment, including in the course of
the administration of a claim, benefit or procedure
related to the individual's employment by the person,
including the individual's termination from employment,
retirement from employment, injury suffered during the
course of employment or to check on an unemployment
insurance claim of the individual.
(ii) The Social Security account number is requested
for purposes of tax compliance.
(4) For purposes of this subsection, the phrase
"purposes of employment" does not include any activity
associated with submitting or reviewing an application for
employment or any other activity that occurs prior to an
offer of employment being made by an employer to an
individual.
* * *
Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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