The NCISS Message

The House Ways and Means Committee and Energy and Commerce Committees have both passed bills (HR 3046/HR 948) that would strictly limit the ability to obtain Social Security numbers. This would have a devastating impact on the value of databases used to locate individuals or to ascertain their true identities. We suggest that you urge the House members to support an exception in these bills similar to the following one that was adopted by the Senate Committee on Commerce in S-1178:

“…a social security account number may be sold, provided, displayed, or obtained by any person — to the extent necessary to identify or locate missing or abducted children, witnesses to an ongoing or potential civil or criminal law suit, criminals, criminal suspects, parties to lawsuits, parents delinquent in child support payments, organ and bone marrow donors, pension fund beneficiaries, missing heirs, and for similar legal, medical, or family related purposes, if the person selling, providing, displaying, or obtaining the social security account number does not do so for marketing purposes.”

The National Council of Investigation & Security Services is working to amend the legislation to provide appropriate exemptions for lawful investigations. Congress needs to hear how vital Social Security numbers are for locating people and verifying identities. Attached is a sample letter you may use. Please personalize it to the extent you can to describe why it is important for you to continue to have access to the number. Please fax or e-mail your letter to Congress. You should be able to find your representative at www.house.gov. If you have any questions, please e-mail our Washington Representative Larry Sabbath at www.lobbyist4u.com.

Download the sample letter