[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 624 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]
H.R.624
One Hundred Fifteenth Congress
of the
United States of America
AT THE FIRST SESSION
Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday,
the third day of January, two thousand and seventeen
An Act
To restrict the inclusion of social security account numbers on Federal
documents sent by mail, and for other purposes.
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 Fraud
Prevention Act of 2017''.
SEC. 2. RESTRICTION OF SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS ON DOCUMENTS SENT BY
MAIL.
(a) Restriction.--An agency may not include the social security
account number of an individual on any document sent by mail unless the
head of the agency determines that the inclusion of the social security
account number on the document is necessary.
(b) Regulations.--Not later than 5 years after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the head of each CFO Act agency shall issue
regulations specifying the circumstances under which inclusion of a
social security account number on a document sent by mail is necessary.
Such regulations shall include--
(1) instructions for the partial redaction of social security
account numbers where feasible; and
(2) a requirement that social security account numbers not be
visible on the outside of any package sent by mail.
(c) Report.--Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment
of this Act, and not later than the first, second, third, fourth, and
fifth-year anniversary of such date of enactment, the head of each CFO
Act agency shall submit to the Committee on Ways and Means and the
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the House of
Representatives, the Committee on Finance and the Committee on Homeland
Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate, and any other
appropriate authorizing committees of the House of Representatives and
the Senate, a report on the implementation of subsection (a) that
includes the following:
(1) The title and identification number of any document used by
the CFO Act agency during the previous year that includes the
complete social security account number of an individual.
(2) For the first report submitted, a plan that describes how
the CFO Act agency will comply with the requirements of subsection
(a).
(3) For the final report submitted, the title and
identification number of each document used by the CFO Act agency
for which the head of the agency has determined, in accordance with
regulations issued pursuant to subsection (b), that the inclusion
of a social security account number on such document is necessary,
and the rationale for such determination.
(4) For any other report that is not the first or final report
submitted, an update on the implementation of the plan described
under paragraph (2).
(d) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Agency.--The term ``agency'' has the meaning given that
term in section 551 of title 5, United States Code, but includes an
establishment in the legislative or judicial branch of the
Government (except the Senate, the House of Representatives, and
the Architect of the Capitol, and any activities under the
direction of the Architect of the Capitol).
(2) CFO act agency.--The term ``CFO Act agency'' means the
agencies listed in paragraphs (1) and (2) of section 901(b) of
title 31, United States Code.
(e) Effective Date.--Subsection (a) shall apply with respect to any
document sent by mail on or after the date that is 5 years after the
date of the enactment of this Act.
Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Vice President of the United States and
President of the Senate.