BILL NUMBER: AB 703 INTRODUCED BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Ruskin FEBRUARY 22, 2007 An act to add Section 1798.855 to the Civil Code, relating to social security numbers. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 703, as introduced, Ruskin. Social security numbers. Existing law prohibits a person or entity, with specified exceptions, from publicly posting or displaying an individual's social security number or doing certain other acts that might compromise the security of an individual's social security number, unless otherwise required by federal or state law. This bill would prohibit a person or entity from using a social security number as an identifier, except as required by federal or state law. The bill would also require that records containing social security numbers be discarded or destroyed in a specified manner, and would require the encryption or locked storage of records containing social security numbers. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 1798.855 is added to the Civil Code, to read: 1798.855. Except as provided in Section 1798.85, a person or entity shall do all of the following: (a) Identify an employee, customer, or customer account by number or identifier, rather than by social security number, except when required by federal or state law. (b) Discard or destroy records containing another person's social security number in a manner that protects their confidentiality, such as through the use of crosscut shredding. (c) Encrypt stored records containing social security numbers in electronic format or maintain those records in locked cabinets or locked storage.