[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 142 (Tuesday, September 20, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H5682-H5683]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
{time} 1700
SOCIAL SECURITY MUST AVERT IDENTITY LOSS (MAIL) ACT OF 2016
Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules
and pass the bill (H.R. 5320) to restrict the inclusion of social
security account numbers on documents sent by mail by the Social
Security Administration, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 5320
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 Must Avert
Identity Loss (MAIL) Act of 2016''.
SEC. 2. RESTRICTION ON SOCIAL SECURITY ACCOUNT NUMBERS IN
DOCUMENTS SENT BY MAIL.
(a) In General.--Section 205(c)(2)(C) of the Social
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 405(c)(2)(C)) is amended by adding at
the end the following:
``(xiv)(I) The Commissioner of Social Security shall ensure
that no document sent by mail by the Social Security
Administration includes a complete social security account
number unless the Commissioner determines that inclusion of
such complete number is necessary.
``(II) Not later than 30 days after the date of the
enactment of this clause and not later than each of March 31
and September 30 of each of the first 6 years following the
year in which such date of enactment occurs, the Commissioner
of Social Security shall submit to the Committee on Ways and
Means of the House of Representatives and the Committee on
Finance of the Senate a report on the implementation of
subclause (I). Such report shall include--
``(aa) the title and identification number of each document
used by the Social Security Administration during the
previous year on which is printed an individual's complete
social security account number;
``(bb) the most recent date on which each such document was
updated; and
``(cc) the projected date on which complete social security
account numbers will be removed from each such document, or
if the Commissioner determines that inclusion of such
complete number is necessary, the rationale for such
determination.''.
(b) Effective Date.--The Commissioner of Social Security
shall implement the amendments made under subsection (a) as
soon as practicable after the date of the enactment of this
Act.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Brooks of Alabama). Pursuant to the
rule, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Sam Johnson) and the gentleman from
Michigan (Mr. Levin) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.
General Leave
Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that
all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to review and extend
their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 5320, currently
under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Texas?
There was no objection.
Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
Today I rise as chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means
Subcommittee on Social Security in support of the Social Security Must
Avert Identity Loss Act of 2016, also known as the Social Security MAIL
Act legislation. It is legislation that I introduced along with the
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Renacci).
Mr. Speaker, Social Security makes a point of telling Americans how
important it is to protect their Social Security numbers. Time and time
again, Americans are warned to protect their Social Security cards in
order to avoid identity theft.
For years I have been calling for ending the use of Social Security
numbers unless it is absolutely necessary. Unfortunately, while some
progress has been made, the Social Security Administration still
includes Social Security numbers on some documents it mails. Just last
year, Social Security sent out more than 233 million letters that
included full Social Security numbers. This needs to stop and now.
The bill requires Social Security to either remove Social Security
numbers from mailings or explain why including a Social Security number
is necessary. This commonsense legislation is supported by AARP and the
Association of Mature American Citizens. Mr. Speaker, I include in the
Record their letters of support.
AARP,
July 13, 2016.
Hon. Sam Johnson,
Chairman, House Subcommittee on Social Security.
Dear Chairman Johnson: AARP supports H.R.5320, the Social
Security Must Avert Identity Loss (MAIL) Act of 2016, which
would protect Social Security numbers (SSNs) from
inappropriate public disclosure. AARP, with its nearly 38
million members in all 50 States and the District of
Columbia, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands, is a
nonpartisan, nonprofit, nationwide organization that helps
people turn their goals and dreams into real possibilities,
strengthens communities and fights for the issues that matter
most to families such as healthcare, employment and income
security, retirement planning, affordable utilities and
protection from financial abuse.
Social Security is the primary source of retirement and
disability income for 60 million Americans. Personal
information about Social Security benefits, such as Social
Security numbers (SSNs), is critical financial information
and must be afforded the highest level of privacy protection.
H.R.5320 would ensure that Social Security numbers (SSNs) are
protected by making clear the Social Security Administration
may not include a full Social Security account number on any
document sent by mail unless the Commissioner of the Social
Security Administration determines that such inclusion is
necessary.
AARP has a longstanding public policy position on Social
Security privacy that companies, government agencies, and
individuals should not be allowed to post or publicly display
SSNs, print them on cards, transmit them over the internet,
or send them by mail without safety measures. We appreciate
your recognition of the important need to protect personal
Social Security information and efforts to urge Congress to
make this needed change in the law.
Because of Social Security, millions of Americans and their
families are able to live
[[Page H5683]]
their lives with dignity and independence. We look forward to
continuing to work with you to ensure that all aspects of the
Social Security program remain strong for future generations
of American workers and their families. If you have any
questions, please feel free to call me.
Sincerely,
Joyce A. Rogers,
Senior Vice President, Government Affairs.
____
AMAC,
June 30, 2016.
Hon. Sam Johnson,
Chairman, Social Security Subcommittee, House Committee on
Ways and Means, Washington, DC.
Hon. Jim Renacci,
16th District, Ohio,
Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Johnson and Congressman Renacci: On behalf of
the 1.3 million members of AMAC, the Association of Mature
American Citizens, I am writing in strong support of the H.R.
5320, the Social Security Must Avert Identity Loss Act of
2016, or the Social Security MAIL Act of 2016. This important
piece of legislation seeks to protect Social Security
beneficiaries from runaway identity theft that has become all
too common for senior citizens. As identity theft becomes
more and more rampant across the country, this timely bill
offers a smart, sensible solution to a problem millions of
seniors face annually.
Last year, the Social Security Administration (SSA) sent
352 million notices by mail--including 233 million notices
containing an individual's full Social Security number. With
such massive amounts of mail being delivered with unnecessary
and identity-compromising information, there are several
opportunities for criminals to steal an individual's
identity. In fact, in 2014, it is estimated that roughly 7%
of the population over the age of 16 were victims of identity
theft. As the world gets smaller, and as more criminals see
opportunities to steal identities in any way they can, H.R.
5320 offers a commonsense solution to Social Security
beneficiaries who are unknowingly being put at risk by the
unnecessary use of their Social Security number.
The Social Security MAIL Act of 2016 is as simple as it is
smart. The bill mandates that the SSA ensure no piece of mail
being sent to an individual includes that individual's
complete Social Security account number--unless it is
absolutely necessary. As rates of identity theft continue to
go up, Congress must take action to prevent making identity
theft easier for opportunistic criminals. A bill like H.R.
5320 is long overdue, and we encourage House leadership to
act on behalf of Social Security beneficiaries and take swift
action to enact this bill.
As an organization committed to representing the interests
of mature Americans and seniors, AMAC is dedicated to
ensuring senior citizens' interests are protected. We applaud
Chairman Johnson, Congressman Renacci, and your attentive
staffs for your thoughtful and practical solution to protect
seniors from identity theft. AMAC is pleased to offer our
organization's full support to the Social Security MAIL Act
of 2016.
Sincerely,
Dan Weber,
President and Founder of AMAC.
Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, Americans rightly expect that
the Social Security Administration keeps their personal information
safe. This bill makes sure Social Security doesn't include a Social
Security number in documents it mails unless it is absolutely
necessary. It is a commonsense solution to a problem that shouldn't
exist in the first place.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members in the House to vote ``yes'' and pass
the Social Security MAIL Act today.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
This bill codifies current practice at the Social Security
Administration, which is to remove Social Security numbers from its
letters and notices in order to reduce the risk of identity theft.
It is important to note that SSA is ahead of the game on these
efforts. It has not included Social Security numbers on statements
since 2001. Checks have not contained Social Security numbers since
2004, and the annual COLA notice no longer contains full Social
Security numbers.
This bill before us also requires SSA to report to Congress twice
each year for the next 6 years on its progress toward removing Social
Security numbers from all mail documents.
I am glad that SSA has already taken important steps to protect
Americans' identities, and I commend SSA for the high value it places
on protecting Americans' private information.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Renacci).
Mr. RENACCI. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Johnson for his leadership
on the Subcommittee on Social Security and for his leadership on this
legislation.
Identity theft is an issue that has become all too prevalent in
recent years. In fact, the Federal Trade Commission received over
490,000 identity theft complaints in 2015. This represents a 47 percent
increase compared to 2014.
As a personal victim of identity theft, I understand the frustration,
fear, and sense of helplessness of having your identity stolen. I also
understand the worry that victims have that someone will use their
identity to file other fraudulent claims. The Federal Government and
Federal agencies have a responsibility to carefully protect every
American's identifying information. That is why I was stunned to learn
that the Social Security Administration provided a full Social Security
number on over 230 million documents that it sent out in 2015. This
represents 66 percent of all mailings.
The volume of documents that contain Americans' full Social Security
number puts Americans unnecessarily at risk of having their identity
stolen. In fact, in a recent report, the inspector general of the
Social Security Administration stated that the ``more SSNs are
unnecessarily used, the higher the probability they may be used
inappropriately.'' This led the inspector general to recommend that the
SSA should take steps to remove Social Security numbers from documents
and that the Social Security Administration should be at the forefront
of limiting the use of full Social Security numbers.
Our legislation helps address this problem. H.R. 5320 simply directs
the Social Security Administration to remove full Social Security
numbers from mailings when they simply are not needed. To northeast
Ohioans, this is just common sense.
Also, this bill will ensure Congress provides the proper amount of
oversight over the Social Security Administration, requiring the
administration to justify the continued use of full Social Security
numbers on mailed documents.
All Americans should have the confidence in knowing that the Social
Security Administration is doing everything within its power to protect
Social Security numbers. I urge all Members to support this
commonsense, bipartisan legislation.
Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, having no other speakers, I am
prepared to close my remarks.
Mr. Speaker, again, I urge all Members of the House to vote ``yes''
and pass the Social Security MAIL Act today so the Senate can take
action soon and the President can sign it into law without delay.
I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Sam Johnson) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 5320, as amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. HUELSKAMP. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.
____________________