[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4846 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4846

  To reduce the risk of identity theft by limiting the use of Social 
 Security account numbers on certain Government-issued identification 
                    cards and Government documents.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 15, 2004

   Ms. Granger (for herself, Mr. Burgess, Mr. Gillmor, Mr. Paul, Ms. 
   Harris, and Mr. Calvert) introduced the following bill; which was 
  referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the 
   Committees on Armed Services, Energy and Commerce, and Veterans' 
Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 
   each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the 
                jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To reduce the risk of identity theft by limiting the use of Social 
 Security account numbers on certain Government-issued identification 
                    cards and Government documents.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Social Security Number Privacy and 
Protection Act of 2004''.

SEC. 2. ALTERATION OF SELECTIVE SERVICE REMINDER MAILBACK CARD TO 
              REDUCE RISK OF THEFT OF SOCIAL SECURITY ACCOUNT NUMBERS.

    Not later than two years after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, the Director of Selective Service shall alter the form of the 
Selective Service reminder mailback card, or the method by which the 
card is submitted to the Selective Service System, to reduce the risk 
of theft of social security account numbers included as part of the 
identifying information required from persons presenting themselves for 
registration under the Military Selective Service Act (50 U.S.C. App. 
451 et seq.).

SEC. 3. ELIMINATION OF SOCIAL SECURITY ACCOUNT NUMBER FROM MEDICARE, 
              MEDICAID, AND SCHIP IDENTIFICATION CARDS.

    (a) Medicare.--Section 1874 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
1395kk) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(d) Any individual identification or similar card issued to carry 
out this title shall not contain the social security account number of 
any individual, but may contain another identification number or code 
as the Secretary may specify. Nothing in this subsection shall be 
construed as preventing the use of social security account numbers for 
claims or other purposes under this title.''.
    (b) Medicaid.--Section 1902(a)(48) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
1396a(a)(48)) is amended by inserting before the semicolon at the end 
the following: ``and in issuing any individual identification card to 
carry out this title, provide that the card shall not contain the 
social security account number of any individual (but may contain 
another identification number or code as the State may specify)''.
    (c) SCHIP.--Section 2102(b) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1397bb(b)) is 
amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
            ``(5) Restrictions on identification cards.--Any individual 
        identification or similar card issued to carry out this title 
        shall not contain the social security account number of any 
        individual (including a family member) but may contain another 
        identification number or code as the State may specify. Nothing 
        in this paragraph shall be construed as preventing the use of 
        social security account numbers for claims or other purposes 
        under this title.''.
    (d) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall take 
effect 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act and shall 
apply to individual identification cards issued on or after such 
effective date.

SEC. 4. ELIMINATION OF SOCIAL SECURITY ACCOUNT NUMBER FROM VETERANS 
              HEALTH CARE IDENTIFICATION CARDS ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT 
              OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 73 of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended by inserting after section 7334 the following new section:
``Sec. 7335. Prohibition on use of social security account number on 
              health care identification cards
    ``In issuing individual identification cards (or similar cards) for 
purposes of management of health care benefits under chapter 17 of this 
title, the Secretary shall provide that any such card that is issued 
after the end of the two-year period beginning on the date of the 
enactment of this section shall not contain the social security account 
number of any individual (including a family member).''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
such chapter is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 
7344 the following new item:

``7355. Prohibition on use of social security account number on health 
                            care identification cards.''.

SEC. 5. SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING REMOVAL OF SOCIAL SECURITY ACCOUNT 
              NUMBERS FROM IDENTIFICATION AND CLAIMS CARDS USED BY 
              HEALTH INSURERS.

    It is the sense of Congress that health insurers should not use 
social security account numbers on insurance identification or claims 
cards issued to beneficiaries, but should substitute another 
identification code or number instead.
                                 <all>