[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 13 (Tuesday, February 7, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Page S770]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. SANTORUM:
  S. 2249. A bill to eliminate the requirement that States collect 
Social Security numbers from applicants for recreational licenses; to 
the Committee on Finance.
  Mr. SANTORUM. Mr. President, I rise to introduce the ``Sportsmen's 
Privacy Protection Act'' to address a number or privacy concerns I have 
heard from my constituents. When I worked with my colleagues to pass 
the 1996 welfare reform law, we made sure that we created a system to 
hold parents accountable for supporting their children. A provision 
included in that law obligated States to implement new requirements to 
encourage payment of child support that cross-referenced Social 
Security Numbers of applicants for drivers' licenses, professional 
licenses, occupational licenses and recreational licenses. States that 
failed to implement these requirements would have faced the loss of 
Federal welfare funding.
  Under current state law, Pennsylvania is required to revoke or deny 
recreational licenses, including hunting and fishing licenses of 
parents who are behind on child support payments. As a result, any 
individual that applies or renews a driver's, occupational or 
recreational license must include their Social Security Number on their 
application form. And it is the application that is the problem. In 
Pennsylvania and many other States, the drivers', professional and 
occupational records are automated or computerized, while the 
recreational licenses remain in a paper book often with multiple 
entries on a page. In my view, there are significant privacy concerns 
to continuing this provision as it relates to recreational licenses 
such as hunting and fishing.
  In preparing this bill we asked the Congressional Research Service, 
CRS, about the effectiveness of this provision. CRS spoke with the 
Pennsylvania Child Support Program, PACSP, regarding the effectiveness 
of retracting or denying individuals hunting and fishing licensees. CRS 
indicated to my staff that there have been very few instances where 
individuals have been denied hunting and fishing licenses for falling 
behind in child support payments. In the overwhelming majority of the 
instances where they have been denied, the custodial parent will tip-
off PACSP of the non-custodial parent's interest in obtaining a hunting 
and fishing license. PACSP can then notify the PA Hunting and Gaming 
Commission to deny the non-custodial parent a license.
  I have heard from a lot of hunters about their legitimate concerns in 
giving their Social Security Number when applying for a hunting 
license. This bill will repeal the Federal mandate that requires States 
to collect Social Security Numbers for recreational licenses. The 
requirement for drivers', professional and occupational licenses would 
remain in place. My home State colleague, Representative English, has 
introduced a companion bill in the House of Representatives. I urge my 
colleagues to consider cosponsoring this legislation that restores the 
privacy rights of recreational hunters and fisherman, while maintaining 
an effective system of child support enforcement.
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