79R6061 JRD-D

By:  Guillen                                                      H.B. No. 2598



A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to regulating the use and disclosure of social security 
numbers by state agencies and institutions of higher education.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Chapter 559, Government Code, is amended by 
adding Section 559.006 to read as follows:
	Sec. 559.006.  USE AND DISCLOSURE OF SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER.  
(a)  In this section:
		(1)  "Institution of higher education" has the meaning 
assigned by Section 61.003, Education Code.
		(2)  "State agency" includes an institution of higher 
education.     
	(b)  For purposes of this section, a state agency rule is 
considered to be a law that requires the use or disclosure of a 
person's social security number only if a state statute 
specifically requires the agency to adopt rules that require the 
use or disclosure of social security numbers for a particular 
purpose.
	(c)  A state agency may not use the social security number of 
a person, including a student in the case of an institution of 
higher education, as the agency's primary identification number for 
the person and shall, if the agency needs to use a numerical 
identifier for any group of persons, develop an identification 
system that is not based on social security numbers.
	(d)  A state agency may not use or maintain a person's social 
security number for any purpose unless the state agency is 
registering the person for a program or service and the agency is 
required by law to obtain and use the person's social security 
number to register the person.
	(e)  A state agency may not disclose a person's social 
security number unless the agency is required by law or a court 
order to do so.
	SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2005.