[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5467 Introduced in House (IH)]








109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5467

To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish criminal penalties 
    for the unauthorized disclosure of records containing personal 
                      information about veterans.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 24, 2006

  Mrs. Drake introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on the 
 Judiciary, 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 amend title 38, United States Code, to establish criminal penalties 
    for the unauthorized disclosure of records containing personal 
                      information about veterans.

    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 ``Veterans Identity Security Act of 
2006''.

SEC. 2. CRIMINAL PENALTIES FOR UNAUTHORIZED DISCLOSURE OF RECORDS ABOUT 
              VETERANS.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 57 of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended by inserting after section 5705 the following new section:
``Sec. 5706. Unauthorized disclosure of records containing personal 
              information about veterans
    ``(a) Offense.--(1) Any person described in subsection (b) who 
other than as authorized by section 5901 of this title or as otherwise 
authorized by law knowingly discloses, or causes the disclosure of, 
records specified in subsection (c) with intent to sell, transfer, or 
use personal information contained in the disclosed records for 
commercial advantage, personal gain, or malicious harm shall be fined 
as provided in title 18, imprisoned not more than 10 years, or both.
    ``(2) Any person described in subsection (b) who other than as 
authorized by section 5901 of this title or as otherwise authorized by 
law knowingly discloses, or causes the disclosure of, records specified 
in subsection (c) in a case not covered by paragraph (1) shall be fined 
as provided in title 18, imprisoned not more than one year, or both.
    ``(b) Covered Persons.--A person described in this subsection is 
any of the following:
            ``(1) An officer or employee of the Department.
            ``(2) A contractor or employee of a contractor of the 
        Department.
            ``(3) A volunteer of the Department.
    ``(c) Specified Records.--Records specified in this subsection are 
records of the Department that are covered by section 5701(a) of this 
title and that contain personal information about a veteran or any 
other person receiving benefits, or applying for benefits, under laws 
administered by the Secretary.
    ``(d) Personal Information Defined.--In this section, the term 
`personal information' means one or more of the following: name, date 
of birth, address, phone number, Social Security number, and (if 
applicable) disability rating.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
such chapter is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 
5705 the following new item:

``5706.  Unauthorized disclosure of records containing personal 
                            information about veterans.''.
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