Prohibits the use of social security numbers by an organization or governmental agency for the identification of an individual

1 Co-sponsor

• Bill Perkins

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 may or 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

2014: S.264 - Referred to Codes/A.5396 - Referred to Governmental Operations 2013: S.264 - Referred to Codes/A.5396 - Referred to Governmental Operations 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.