Proposed Bills about the Use of Social Security Numbers

SB 25 — Bowen: Personal Information Security

Link to the SB 25:

http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/bill/sen/sb_00010050/sb_25_bill_20021202_introduced.html

Status of SB 25:

• This bill is expected to pass in its current form or a very similar rendition.
• Senator Bowen has been pursuing this issue for a long time and has developed a short list of limitations on the use of social security numbers.
• There are provisions in the bill that allow the use of SSN per state or federal mandates and for administrative purposes. The language specifically states that “This section does not prevent the collection, use, or release of a social security number as required by state or federal law or the use of a social security number for internal verification or administrative purposes.”

Summary of SB 25:

Under the provisions of this bill, UC would not be allowed to do 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 services provided by the person or entity.

(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 Web site, unless a password or unique personal identification number or other authentication device is also required to access the Internet Web site.

(5) Print an individual’s social security number on any materials that are mailed to the individual, unless state or federal law requires the social security number to be on the document to be mailed. Notwithstanding this paragraph, 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.

AB 46 — Simitian: Identity Theft

Link to AB 46:

http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/bill/asm/ab_0001-0050/ab_46_bill_20021202_introduced.html

Status of AB 46:

• AB 46 will likely see a multitude of changes and amendments this session because it is very broad, loosely written, and does not provide for use of SSNs when mandated by state or federal law.
• The UC Sacramento office will need to provide a great deal of education to the author about how UC uses and protects social security numbers.

Summary of AB 46:

(1) No university or college located in California may use a social security number as a student identifier.

(2) No employer may require an employee to use his or her social security number for any purpose other than taxes.