Prohibits the use of social security numbers by an organization or governmental agency for identification purposes of individuals, including: publicly posting or displaying an individual's social security number; printing the social security number on any card required to access products or services; requiring the social security number to assess a website; and printing an individual's number on any printed materials mailed to such individual; defines terms.

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S264-2013 Actions

• Jan 9, 2013: REFERRED TO CODES

S264-2013 Memo

BILL NUMBER:S264

TITLE OF BILL:
An act
to amend the civil rights law, in relation to prohibiting the use of
social security numbers from being used as identification for
individuals

PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
Prohibits the use of social security numbers for identification
purposes.

SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section 1. Amends the Civil Rights Law by adding a new section 50-f.
Prohibits the use of social security numbers by any organization or
governmental agency as a form of identification for any purpose
including publicly posting or displaying an individual's social
security number, printing the social security number on any card
required to access products or services, requiring the social
security number to access a website, and printing an individual's
number on any printed materials mailed to the individual.

Section 2 - Effective Date

EXISTING LAW:
None.

JUSTIFICATION:
This legislation is a response to the federal Welfare Reform Act
approved by Congress in 1997, specifically the elimination of
driver's licenses of all New York immigrants unable to prove that
they have legal authority to be in the United States. For the
thousands of immigrants who received licenses before a social
security card was required, the loss of a license will cause a loss
of livelihood. Immigration status mayor may not impact whether or not
someone is a safe driver.
This is a public safety issue since forcing immigrants to produce a
social security number in order to receive a license who are unable
to do so, may have the unintended effect of putting unlicensed,
uninsured motorists on the roads. This legislation will hopefully
encourage immigrants to obtain driver's licenses legally, instead of
choosing to operate a motor vehicle without a license.

PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2012:    S.304 - Referred to Consumer Protection/A.2830 - Referred
         to Governmental Operations
2011:    S.304- Discharged from Codes and
         Committed to Consumer Protection/A.2830 Referred to
         Governmental Operations
2009-10: S.2180 - Referred to Codes/A.308 - Enacting Clause
         Stricken/A.10563 - Referred to Governmental Operations
2007-08: A.1683 - Referred to Governmental Operations
2006:    S.7163 - Referred to Codes/A.3910 - Referred to
         Governmental Operations
2005:    A.3910 - Referred to Governmental Operations


FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
To be determined.

EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect 180 days after it shall become law.

S264-2013 Text

                      S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
  ________________________________________________________________________

                                     264

                         2013-2014 Regular Sessions

                              I N  SENATE

                                 (PREFILED)

                               January 9, 2013
                                 ___________

  Introduced  by  Sen.  DIAZ  --  read twice and ordered printed, and when
    printed to be committed to the Committee on Codes

  AN ACT to amend the civil rights law, in relation to prohibiting the use
    of social security numbers from being used as identification for indi-
    viduals

    THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
  BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:


    Section  1.  The  civil  rights law is amended by adding a new section
  50-f to read as follows:

    S 50-F. PROHIBITION ON THE USE OF SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS AS IDENTIFI-
  CATION. 1. NO ORGANIZATION OR GOVERNMENTAL AGENCY SHALL USE AN  INDIVID-
  UAL'S  SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER IN ANY MANNER FOR IDENTIFICATION PURPOSES,
  INCLUDING:

    (A) PUBLICLY POSTING OR PUBLICLY DISPLAYING IN ANY MANNER AN  INDIVID-
  UAL'S SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER;
    (B)  PRINTING  AN  INDIVIDUAL'S  SOCIAL  SECURITY  NUMBER  ON ANY CARD
  REQUIRED FOR THE INDIVIDUAL TO ACCESS PRODUCTS OR SERVICES  PROVIDED  BY
  THE ORGANIZATION OR AGENCY;
    (C) REQUIRING AN INDIVIDUAL TO USE OR TRANSMIT HIS OR HER SOCIAL SECU-
  RITY NUMBER TO ACCESS AN INTERNET WEB SITE; AND
    (D)  PRINTING  AN INDIVIDUAL'S SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER ON ANY MATERIALS
  THAT ARE MAILED TO THE INDIVIDUAL, UNLESS STATE OR FEDERAL LAW OTHERWISE
  REQUIRES THE SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER TO BE ON THE DOCUMENT TO BE MAILED.
    2. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION:

    (A) "GOVERNMENTAL AGENCY" MEANS ANY AGENCY OR UNIT OF  THE  STATE  AND
  ANY POLITICAL SUBDIVISION THEREOF.
    (B) "ORGANIZATION" SHALL MEAN ANY NATURAL PERSON, CORPORATION, LIMITED
  LIABILITY  COMPANY,  TRUST,  UNINCORPORATED  ASSOCIATION, NOT-FOR-PROFIT
  ORGANIZATION, PARTNERSHIP, AFFILIATE  OR  ANY  OTHER  COMMERCIAL  ENTITY
  LOCATED OR DOING BUSINESS IN THE STATE.

   EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                        [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                             LBD00512-01-3

 S. 264                              2

    (C) "PUBLICLY POSTING" OR "PUBLICLY DISPLAYING" MEANS TO INTENTIONALLY
  COMMUNICATE OR OTHERWISE MAKE AVAILABLE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
    S 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
  it shall have become a law.