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    AN ACT concerning consumer protection.

 
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    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
 
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represented in the General Assembly:


 
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    Section 5. The Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business 
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Practices Act is amended  by adding Section 2QQ as follows:
 
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    (815 ILCS 505/2QQ  new)
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    Sec. 2QQ. Use of Social Security numbers.
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    (a) Except as otherwise provided in this Section,
a person 
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may not do any of the following:
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        (1) Publicly post or publicly display in any manner an 
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    individual's social security number.  As used in this 
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    Section, "publicly post" or "publicly display" means to 
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    intentionally communicate or otherwise make available to 
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    the general public.
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        (2) Print an individual's social security number on any 
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    card
required for the individual to access products or 
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    services provided by the person or entity; however, a 
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    person or entity that provides an insurance card must print 
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    on the card an identification number unique to the holder 
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    of the card in the format prescribed by Section 15 of the

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    Uniform Prescription Drug Information Card Act.
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        (3) Require an individual to transmit his or her social 
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    security number over the Internet, unless the connection is 
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    secure or the social security number is encrypted.
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        (4) Require an individual to use his or her social 
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    security number to access an Internet web site, unless a 
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    password or unique personal identification number or other 
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    authentication device is also required to access the 
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    Internet Web site.
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        (5) Print an individual's social security number on any 
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    materials that are mailed to the individual, unless State 
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    or federal law requires the social security number to be on 
 


 






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    the document to be mailed.  Notwithstanding any provision in 
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    this Section to the contrary, social security numbers may 
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    be included in applications and forms sent by mail, 
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    including documents sent as part of an application or 
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    enrollment process or to establish, amend, or terminate an 
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    account, contract, or policy or to confirm the accuracy of 
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    the social security number.  A social security number that 
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    may permissibly be mailed under this Section may not be 
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    printed, in whole or in part, on a postcard or other mailer 
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    that does not require an envelope or be visible on an 
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    envelope or visible without the envelope having been 
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    opened.
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    (b) A person that used, before July 1, 2005, an 
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individual's social security
number in a manner inconsistent 
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with subsection (a) may continue
using that individual's social 
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security number in the same manner on or
after July 1, 2005 if 
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all of the following conditions are met:
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        (1) The use of the social security number is 
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    continuous.  If the use is stopped for any reason, 
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    subsection (a) shall apply.
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        (2) The individual is provided an annual disclosure 
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    that informs the individual that he or she has the right to 
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    stop the use of his or her social security number in a 
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    manner prohibited by subsection (a).
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    A written request by an individual to stop the use of his 
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or her social security number in a manner prohibited by 
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subsection (a) shall be implemented within 30 days of the 
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receipt of the request.  There shall be no fee or charge for 
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implementing the request. A  person shall not deny services to 
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an individual because the individual makes such a written 
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request.
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    (c) This Section does not apply to the collection, use, or 
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release
of a social security number as required by State or 
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federal law or
the use of a social security number for internal 
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verification or
administrative purposes. This Section does not 
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apply to the collection, use, or

release of a social security 
 


 






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number by the State, a subdivision of the State, or an 
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individual in the employ of the State or a subdivision of the 
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State in connection with his or her official duties.
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    (d) This Section does not apply to documents that are 
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recorded or
required to be open to the public under State or 
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federal law, applicable case law, Supreme Court Rule, or the 
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Constitution of the State of Illinois.
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    (e) If a federal law takes effect requiring the United 
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States
Department of Health and Human Services to establish a 
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national
unique patient health identifier program, any person 
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who complies with the federal law shall be deemed to be in 
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compliance with this
Section.
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    (f) A person may not encode or embed a social security

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number in or on a card or document, including, but not limited 
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to,
using a bar code, chip, magnetic strip, or other 
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technology, in place
of removing the social security number as 
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required by this Section.
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    (g) Any person who violates this Section commits an 
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unlawful practice within the meaning of this Act.

 
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    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1, 
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2006.