BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

 

H.B. 2961

By: Huberty

Government Efficiency & Reform

Committee Report (Unamended)

 

 

 

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

 

Interested parties assert that identity theft is common and that social security numbers need to be protected. The parties contend that an employee of a school district must choose whether to allow public access to that employee's social security number but maintain that there is not an overriding argument favoring that public access. The parties also maintain that employees could unknowingly make their social security numbers public if they fail to choose to make that information private or if the district requires employees to allow public access to their social security numbers. In addition, the parties observe that, while a social security number of a living person is excepted from disclosure under public information law, it is not confidential. H.B. 2961 seeks to protect the social security number of a school district employee or former employee from public disclosure.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

 

ANALYSIS

 

H.B. 2961 amends the Government Code to prohibit a school district from requiring an employee or former employee of the district to choose whether to allow public access to the employee or former employee's social security number and to establish that the social security number of an employee of a school district in the custody of the district is confidential.

 

H.B. 2961 amends the Education Code to require the board of trustees of an independent school district to adopt a policy prohibiting the use of the social security number of an employee of the district as an employee identifier other than for tax purposes.

 

EFFECTIVE DATE

 

September 1, 2013.