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Who cares
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Sponsors
1 Multi-sponsor
History
- Referred to consumer affairs and protection
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Relates to the limitations on the use of social security numbers
In Senate Committee · Consumer Protection · Sponsor Michael F. Nozzolio
Full text
The text isn't available here yet. Check nysenate.gov.
Sponsor's memo
BILL NUMBER:A9862
Title of bill
An act to amend the general business law, in relation to limitations of the use of social security numbers
Purpose
This legislation would prohibit any organization to sell, share, lease or trade an individual's Social Security number (SSN) with- out informed written consent of the individual whose SSN it is, except where required by state or federal law.
Summary of provisions
Section two of this measure amends the General Business Law, adding a new section 144, regarding the limitation's of the use of SSN's.
Justification
With the dawning and subsequent explosion of the high tech age, identity theft has become one of the fastest growing crimes in our nation. According to statistics from the Secret Service Agency, investigations of financial crimes involving identity fraud has climbed steadily from $442 million in 1995, to $450 million in 1996 to an alarm- ing $745 million in 1997.
In Western New York an individual victimized by this crime faced armed bounty hunters in her home demanding the return of a $24,000 luxury car that was in fact leased, and ultimately stolen, by someone using her social security number and credit history. This perpetrator did not even use the same last name, gave an entirely different home and business address, and was apparently even of a completely different age, yet she still easily incurred at least $50,000 of debt in the name of an unsus- pecting retired teacher.
Mastercard International reported that 96 percent of its overall losses of $407 million in 1997 were due to identity fraud. A recent American Bankers Association survey of the bank-card industry reported that on average about 16,800 cases involving credit-card fraud were reported for each of the 10 large banks surveyed.
According to officials at the Social Security Administration, the instance of SSN misuse investigations, which almost always involves fraud, nearly tripled from 1996 to 1997. In this technologically advanced society, it has become absurdly easy to obtain a person's Social Security Account number. This measure takes a proactive stance by limiting the instances when a person's Social Security Account number may be used.
Legislative history
New Bill
Fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.