SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER PRIVACY ACT - S.B. 795: COMMITTEE SUMMARY
sans-serif">Senate Bill 795 (as introduced 10-23-03)
CONTENT
The bill would create the “Social Security Number Privacy Act” to prohibit a person from disclosing to a third party or publicly displaying all or any part of the Social Security number of an employee, student, or other individual, unless he or she consented to the disclosure in writing or the disclosure was authorized by law.
A person who violated the proposed Act would be responsible for a civil fine of up to $1,000. A person who knowingly violated the proposed Act would be guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by up to 93 days’ imprisonment, a maximum fine of $1,000, or both. In addition, an individual could bring a civil action against a person who violated the Act and could recover actual damages or $1,000, whichever was greater, plus reasonable attorney fees.
“Person” would mean an individual, partnership, limited liability company, trust, custodian, estate, association, corporation, public or private elementary or secondary school, trade school, vocational school, community or junior college, college, university, or other governmental or legal entity.
- Legislative Analyst: Patrick Affholter
FISCAL IMPACT
The bill would have no fiscal impact on the State and an indeterminate fiscal impact on local units of government.
There are no data to indicate how many offenders would be convicted of the proposed misdemeanor offense. Offenders could receive probation, incarceration in a local facility, and/or a fine of up to $1,000. Local units of government incur the costs of both misdemeanor probation and incarceration in local facilities, which vary by county. Public libraries would benefit from any additional penal fine revenue raised due to the proposed penalty.
- Fiscal Analyst: Bethany WicksallS0304\s795sa
This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.