Senate Bill (SB) 168 -Social Security Numbers -Because Social Security numbers are unique and an excellent way to differentiate people, lawmakers have taken steps to protect how it is administratively used. SB 168 prohibits any person or entity, excluding a state or local agency; from doing any of the following activities after July 1, 2002.

• Publicly post or publicly display in any manner an individual's Social Security number.
• Print an individual's Social Security number on any card required for the individual to access products or services.
  
• 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.
• Require an individual to use his or her Social Security number to access an Internet Web site, unless a password or unique personal identification number (PIN) is also required to access the Web site.
• Print an individual's Social Security number on any materials that are mailed to the individual, unless required by state or federal law.

The bill provides the following exceptions:

• The use of Social Security numbers for internal verification or administrative purposes is permitted.
  
• It does not prohibit the use of a portion of the Social Security number. For example, health plans may use specific digits, e.g., xxx-xx-oooo.