[2977] in WWW Security List Archive
EPIC: SSN and Welfare Legislation
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Bill Burns)
Wed Sep 18 12:20:57 1996
Date: Wed, 18 Sep 1996 10:14
From: Bill Burns <BBurns@panynj.gov>
Reply-To: Bill Burns <BBurns@panynj.gov>
To: www-security@ns2.rutgers.edu
Errors-To: owner-www-security@ns2.rutgers.edu
I came across the following in the Computer Privacy Digest V9#014 and
thought those of you who were interested in the SSN and Lexis/Nexis database
would find it of interest. It seems inevitable that there will be numerous
databases out there with your name, address, phone, SSN data, etc. on them.
Excerpt from EPIC Alert 3.15
[...]
[3] Welfare Legislation Signed by Clinton
On August 22, President Clinton signed the Personal Responsibility and
Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996. The bill includes a number
of sections that expand the use of the Social Security Number and
create new databases of personal information.
The bill requires that states obtain individuals' Social Security
Numbers for many state documents. It provides that on "any application
for a professional license, commercial driver's license, occupational
license, or marriage license [the SSN] be recorded on the application."
The new bill also creates a national database of every employee in the
United States. States are also required to create databases of "new
hires." The state databases would be uploaded to a federal registry
and the Social Security Administration would verify the SSNs. The
Commissioner of Social Security is required to develop "a prototype of
a counterfeit-resistant social security card" made of tamper proof
materials for proving citizenship, and to issue a report on the cost of
issuing a new card to all citizens over a three, five or ten year
period.
More information on the welfare bill, the Social Security Number, and
efforts to expand its use is available at:
http://www.epic.org/privacy/ssn/
