Section 1. Privacy of Social Security numbers.
(a) General rule.--A person or entity or State agency or political subdivision shall not do any of the following:
(1) Publicly post or publicly display in any manner an
individual's Social Security number. "Publicly post" or
"publicly display" means to intentionally communicate or
otherwise make available to the general public.
(2) Print an individual's Social Security number on any
card required for the individual to access products or
services provided by the person, entity or State agency or
political subdivision.
(3) Require an individual to transmit his or her Social
Security number over the Internet unless the connection is
secure or the Social Security number is encrypted.
(4) Require an individual to use his or her Social
Security number to access an Internet website unless a
password or unique personal identification number or other
authentication device is also required to access the website.
(5) Print an individual's Social Security number on any
materials that are mailed to the individual unless Federal or
State law requires the Social Security number to be on the
document to be mailed. Notwithstanding this provision, Social
Security numbers may be included in applications and forms
sent by mail, including documents sent as part of an
application or enrollment process or to establish, amend or
terminate an account, contract or policy or to confirm the
accuracy of the Social Security number. A Social Security
number that is permitted to be mailed under this section may
not be printed, in whole or in part, on a postcard or other
mailer not requiring an envelope, or visible on the envelope
or without the envelope having been opened.
(6) Disclose in any manner, except to the agency issuing
the license, the Social Security number of an individual who
applies for a recreational license. For the purposes of this
paragraph, a "recreational license" means a license issued
pursuant to 30 Pa.C.S. (relating to fish) or 34 Pa.C.S.
(relating to game).
(b) Applicability.--Except as provided in subsection (c), subsection (a) applies only to the use of Social Security numbers on or after the effective date of this section.
(c) Exception.--
(1) A person or entity, not including a State agency or
political subdivision, that has used, prior to the effective
date of this section, an individual's Social Security number
in a manner inconsistent with subsection (a) may continue
using that individual's Social Security number in that manner
on or after the effective date of this section if all of the
following conditions are met:
(i) The use of the Social Security number is
continuous. If the use is stopped for any reason,
subsection (a) shall apply.
(ii) The individual is provided an annual
disclosure, commencing in the year after the
effective date of this section, that informs the
individual that he or she has the right to stop the
use of his or her Social Security number in a manner
prohibited by subsection (a).
(2) An individual who receives an annual disclosure
under paragraph (1) has the right to stop the use of his or
her Social Security number in a manner prohibited by
subsection (a) and must exercise that right by submitting a
written request to the person or entity. The person or entity
shall discontinue use of the individual's Social Security
number within 30 days of the receipt of the request. There
shall be no fee or charge for complying with the request. A
person or entity shall not deny services to an individual
because the individual makes a written request pursuant to
this subsection.
(d) Construction.--This section shall not be construed to prevent the collection, use or release of a Social Security number as required by Federal or State law or the use of a Social Security number for internal verification, administrative purposes or for law enforcement investigations.
(e) Unified judicial system documents.--This section does not apply to a document that originated with or is filed with, recorded in or is maintained by any court component or part of the unified judicial system.
(f) Government documents.--This section does not apply to any document that:
(1) is required by law to be open to the public; and
(2) originates with or is filed, recorded or maintained
by any government agency, instrumentality or taxing
authority.
(g) Penalty.--Actions in violation of this act shall be deemed a summary offense and shall be punishable by a fine of not less than $50 and not more than $500 and, for every second or subsequent violation, by a fine of not less than $500 and not more than $5,000. Fines under this section shall be distributed equally between the Crime Victim's Compensation Fund administered by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency and the Office of Attorney General for future identity theft prevention.